Through Heaven and Hell
by Ms. A-Bypolar
Summary: AU fic When you suddenly find your life shattered, you learn that love can be found in the most unpredictable places. Takes place through their last year of high school, so if you're looking for a Duel monsters story, this is not for you. ChazzJaden
1. Gone

**Author's note:** First of all, this is an **AU fic** so don't expect seeing anything about Duel monsters. In this fic, they're all 18, (except Zane, Atticus and Hassleberry) and all of them have their own set of problems. I'll try to approach the typical dilemmas teens tend to go through, and for the sake of this, add some reality to the story.

**Pairings: **Mostly ChazzJaden, one-sided JadenAster, but there'll be other pairings as well (suggestions are always welcome)

I know this whole part looks a bit out of place, but it has a powerful meaning in the story. It's my description of how I like to imagine Chazz's relationships with his family.

**The main plot starts after the first division (the one with x's)**

Disclaimer: I don't own YGO GX.

Enjoy!

* * *

**Chazz's P.O.V.**

Click...click...click...

The constant sound of a lighter being triggered echoed through the entire living room as we shared what my parents liked to call "Family time", and to be honest, it was killing the tiny amount of sanity I still had left. Naturally, I was the first one to snap. I placed my hand on top of my brother's, the one holding the damned lighter quite forcefully. "Stop it, moron! You're annoying tic is driving me crazy" I hissed angrily at him, but all I got in response was a deep glare and a faint _'Whatever_'. As you would expect, I glared back twice as strong. Just when I was about to punch the living daylights out of him, my mother decided to interrupt our amusing challenge, and as usually I was the one scold was directed to.

"Darling, calm down please. You're brother's just obviously anxious" A tender smile appeared on her lips when she stood up and approached me. My anger melted almost right away, and I looked up at her, more composed now.

"Well, he wouldn't be anxious if we didn't spend the Sunday's night just sitting here in silence, mother" She frowned sadly after I finished, and I couldn't understand why I didn't think about it much longer, however, because her frown morphed into a grin, her features lighted up considerably. She clapped her hands together, successfully gaining everyone's attention. It wouldn't take a genius such as me to know an idea had just popped into her mind.

"Why don't we go out and eat something? There's a new restaurant in downtown, I think it's called 'The seascape'. I've heard the food is delicious, especially the salmon mousse" I thought the room couldn't grow quieter...

I was so wrong...

Much to my dismay, Slade was the first one to snap out of his stupid daze. He glanced at Jagger expectantly and the other idiot actually understood the unspoken request. He slid his hand inside his pocket discreetly and soon after, Slade's mobile phone rang. He placed the receiver on his ear and pretended to be talking with someone, most likely his personal assistant. "Slade Princeton speaking...Is it really important? I'm in the middle of a family reunion..." I've seen those fools do it countless times before and I never fell for it. My parents, on the other hand, would buy it every single time.

"Don't worry about it darling, we understand you're a very busy man" She said as she reached up to tighten his tie, smiling fondly at him. I scoffed bitterly, only to get a disapproving scowl from my mother and a mocking sneer from both my brothers. The only one who held a neutral face was my father. He's always the one to support me when it comes to my brothers. Sometimes I feel like he's the only sane mind in the family besides me. I looked at my brothers resentfully, really wishing I was only child. And that's when I noticed it... Glancing around the room frenetically, I spotted it lying isolated on the floor. I bent down and took it with a flick of my wrist, fast enough so no one would see.

"Slade..." I spat out the name quite venomously, and he leered nastily. "Where is your assistant you calling from, exactly?" Suspicious, he raised an eyebrow and cocked his head a little, but answered the question anyway. Lying, of course.

"She's in France, Chazz. Why do you ask, little brother?" Fool...

"Oh...nothing. It's just that I didn't know you were allowed to make international calls without a mobile antenna, let alone even use the phone if it has no battery" I dug into my coat's pocket and showed him the small white device he dropped earlier clutched between my fingers. "And if my memory serves me right, you were ranting on about how your antenna wasn't working right" I was fully smirking now; extremely satisfied with the stupefied look he was sporting. I finally had him where I wanted him! My mother turned slightly shocked at him, and Jagger merely faked a disappointed face. Pathetic...

"It's...the newest technology. This phone has an emergency battery. Pretty cool, huh? I just bought it." **_WHAT?!..._**

"If that's so, I should really get one too" _Those two are completely **DEAD**!_

"I think you owe an apology to your brother, honey" **_WHAT THE…?_**

"OVER MY DEAD BODY!" I screamed at the top of my lungs, still my mother, obviously unimpressed didn't even flinch. My brothers were practically cracking in laugher and my father was nowhere to be seen. Then, unexpectedly, the last person I would imagine spoke out for me.

"And what about the antenna?" My father's coarse voice cut off their laugher immediately as he stood right behind me. He was pretty strict; his intimidating personality demanded respect, no one ever messed with him. And those two morons certainly didn't either.

"That's another amazing feature of the phone, it has an advanced, inner one" He smirked smugly, yet Dad's stern face wiped it out of his dull face instantly.

"You know, that phone kind of looks like the one you had with you last week..." **_Jackpot!_**

The blissful moment (for me at last) was interrupted when the phone rang loudly. I got up as fast as I could and answered it perhaps a little too eagerly. "Hello?" "_Chazz? Hi, it's me, is Slade in there? I've been trying to communicate with him, but he won't pick up his phone..." _"Sure…"I muttered darkly; who did she think I was? His fucking secretary? I hesitated critically, but motioned for said moron to come closer nevertheless. He did, reluctantly, and I shoved the phone in his hands. "Slade Princeton speaking...Where?...Alright, I'm on my way" I seriously wondered which gods hated me, and why.

"Well, you know what they say, Duty calls" A really fake sad smile appeared on his face as he grabbed his suitcase and made his way out. Then, as if he'd just forgotten something, he turned back dashed across the room to where Jagger was sitting and pulled him up. "It seems I'll need your help." Both twits ran off quite hurriedly, leaving me alone with my parents. _Again..._

"So, The Seascape, you say? Hmm...It's been a while since I ate some real seafood. What about you, Chazz? " _Oh joy..._

"It sounds like fun, but I don't really feel good at the moment. Maybe another time" I started to walk toward the stairs when I felt something warm yanking my arm. I turned around only to find my mother had her fingers curled around my wrist, keeping me from getting away. Obviously, I knew what she wanted even without asking, but I didn't felt like going out tonight.

"I want you to come with us, darling" She looked at me hopefully, that alone almost convinced me. Almost. I hated it when she did that, because she knew it always worked with me. I sighed tiredly, merely waiting for her to give up. I couldn't jerk my arm back; I didn't have the heart to do so... As expected, she let out a sigh and released me slowly as she realized her pleading wasn't having the anticipated effect. Once free I paced away, never looking back. I was far too disappointed with myself to do so. Disappointed for being so mean with the person I was supposed to love and cherish the most.

While I was carelessly walking toward my room I collided with something, or rather someone. Peering down, I found Beatrix our domestic servant sprawled on the floor along with several previously folded towels scattered beside her. "I'm sorry, I wasn't paying attention" I stretched my hand out to help her and pulled her up effortlessly. She's a petite elder lady, probably on her late forties; still she's even more energetic than me. In the seven years I've known her, she has NEVER complained about weariness or anything for that matter. She's like an aunt to me... The crazy and cheerful one everyone has.

"Don't worry about it, I wasn't looking either" She declared sheepishly as we gathered the towels from the ground. She opened her mouth to speak, but before she could even have a word, I already knew what she sought out. "Oh...thanks, dear" She stated gratefully when I handed her the keys she dropped earlier. Just when I was about to turn the door handle and get inside my room, Beatrix's joyful tone stopped me. "You look...upset. May I ask why?" Although her voice had a genuinely concerned note on it, I didn't felt compelled to answer her honestly.

"I'm all right" That's all she heard of me before I slammed the door behind me. After the dreadful echoes of the pound stopped, I just stood there, truly admiring my room for the first time since we moved in, barely a month ago. There was only one word I could use to describe my room: perfect. It was suitably large, slightly bigger than the one I had in the other house, but more importantly, it would always offer me the peace and calm I could not find in my heart and mind. There's a balcony at the farthest end right in front of my bed, so it grants me the best illumination I could possibly ask for, the whitish moonlight. I also painted it myself; it was black, but not just any black. It was an opaque, eternal black.

Even though I wasn't really tired, I felt the sudden need to lie down. With a long leap, I flied across the room and dived into my bed, extremely pleased with the feeling of the silky dark sheets against my skin. In my state of serenity and harmony I almost didn't hear the faint knock on my door. "Come in..." Without taking my eyes off the ceiling, I responded coldly to whoever was standing behind it. After a long pause, the door opened to reveal my mother's slightly disturbed expression. I grimaced inwardly.

"Can we talk with you?" She requested gently and I couldn't stop gaping at her. I was, to say least, at a loss of words. Wait...we? As I was about to ask, my father's imposing figure crossed through the doorframe. Both looked at me, their faces contained different mixed emotions. Sadness, misery, and the worse of all: guilt. Why in the hell would they be guilty?!

"I...err...sure" I sat up hurriedly, waiting for them to begin. They came in and walked closer, my dad leaned against the wall, next to the headboard, and my mom sat in my bed. "What is it?" I tried to sound self-assured and composed, but her potent stare knocked all the confidence out of me. Now I now who I got the strong gaze from...Unsure of what to say, she stole a quick glance at my father for support. "Son, your mother and I are aware of your attitude toward Jagger and Slade and-"

"ME? What did I do? They made up that entire racket so they could get away. They do exactly the same thing every time they want to escape from something, and now you two come to my room to rub it in?!"

"Don't make wrong assumptions, yet son" God, I was about to fly into rag but those words certainly crushed my anger...So I just sat there, speechless. "We didn't come here for that"

"Chazz, don't think we didn't know that already" I couldn't retort to that, mainly because she called me by my name rather than some corny pet name. "We do, but we won't force them to stay with us if they don't want to. They have their own lives and houses. Besides, it hurts more to know they're here against their own will. We'd be happy to wait until the day they come here to visit their family even without us calling them"

"But it's all different with you, Chazz. You're not like your brothers at all. Don't get me wrong, we love them wholeheartedly, but let's face it, they'll forget all about us soon. It's just a matter of time before they become too absorbed with greed to stop..." A lost look took place on his face, so he looked down at the ground and just stood there. I searched hard for any coherent thought within my mind, but found none. It was mom's turn to speak again.

"You, on the other hand, are such a compassionated and caring person, you're truly one of a kind. We have a strong faith in you, because we know that in the end you'll be the one to take care of us, the one who will always be there to help us. And we have absolutely no doubt about it." Somewhere in the middle of her statement, she began to cry; fresh and sincere tears emanated from her eyes as she carried on. "You think we scold you all the time because we love to torment you, but we do it because we care. And let me tell you, we wouldn't be here if we didn't love you heartily" Even at that time, I didn't really feel like crying, since my pride wouldn't allow it and I was thankful for that. Then, unexpectedly, she threw her arms around me and embraced me in a loving motherly way.

"I...Y-you have no idea of how long I lived thinking you didn't love me." I managed to choke out once I found my voice, and pulled away a little to be able to look at her directly. I was actually surprised by the way I was able to hold back the overwhelming feelings inside me. I'm not exactly an emotional type, anyway.

"You always keep everything to yourself; you hardly ever talked to us. At first we blamed it on the adolescence, but as you got older we realized we were completely mistaken. But we do love you, more than you could ever imagine, don't you doubt that. " I felt her as her hold on me loosened gradually, until she was no longer grasping me. Ever so slowly, she rose to her feet to stand next to my father, they're expressions were totally different than the ones they wore when they came in. "So, do you want to come with us, sweetheart? We can go wherever you want" I have to admit the offer was pretty tempting; still I wasn't really in mood to go out.

Smiling weakly, I sat on the edge of the mattress and faced them. "I'm not really feeling good tonight, but I have a better idea…Why don't you two go and have dinner together? You can kiss and flirt all you want without me bothering you" They chuckled slightly at my comment. When we were young, my brothers and I would make loud sick noises every time they kissed, so they avoided kissing while we were around. Annoying human affections... "Besides, I'll need all the rest I can get for tomorrow" I had to face my last year of high school in ten hours and thanks to my parents decision of moving out, I had to face a new school as well. Excited? I don't think so...

"I like the idea, how about you?" When he got an eager nod from my mother, he smiled lovingly at her and motioned for her to go and fetch her coat. As she was walking out, unpredictable as ever, she came back, placed a tender kiss on my forehead and left. After she disappeared through the corridor, my father turned to face me and rested his hands on my shoulders. "I just wanted you to know that we couldn't have asked for a better son. I couldn't be more proud of you...Good night" That said, he ruffled my hair and followed my mom; soon after, I heard the muffled sound of the car taking off and fading away. Alone in my room again, I collapsed into my bed and waited for sleep to take over. For the first time in years, I breathed deeply and actually felt a great relief. There was no doubt within myself anymore, which was amazing. _Should I take my coat off…? Later…_.. I didn't need a mirror to know an insanely retarded grin was plastered all over my face, and as weird as it sounds, I couldn't care less.

_Maybe everything will be better from now on_. I drifted off and into a profound serene sleep with those silly happy thoughts in mind...

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The distant sound of the phone ringing noisily dragged me out of my pleasant slumber. Glancing at my alarm clock, I found I only slept for evidently more than an hour, seeing as it read accurately 11:00 pm. I bounced out of bed and ran through the hallway, getting to the phone in less than ten seconds due to my sluggishness. "Hello?" The voice on the other end was slightly hushed, but I ignored that. "_Yes? Is that the Princeton residence?" _I don't know why, but I had an awful feeling, something bad. "Yes. Can I help you?" There was a brief pause and the voice continued. _"Listen carefully, umm…what's you're name?" _I raised an eyebrow reflexively, quite bothered now. "Who wants to know?"_ "Look, I'm sorry to have to be the one to tell you this, but an accident just happened. We found some IDs that lead us to this phone, so please cooperate with us and give me your name" _My blood froze immediately, as well as my brain and any possible trail of thought crossing my mind at the moment. "Ch-Chazz Princeton..." _"You're age?" _"...17" _"Are you, by any chance a familiar of Slade Princeton?" _"He's my brother..." Fear pricked at my heart when horrible mental images blurred my sight. Now what did those two stupid twits got themselves into this time? _"Look, Chazz, I'm calling because it's my responsibility to inform you that your parents' vehicle was crushed against a crash barrier by a silver Mustang GT, according to the witnesses. Unfortunately, both passed away before any medic assistance could be given. I'm so sorry..." _

The distant sound of the phone smacking against the floor hardly reached my ears as I stood there, without seeing, hearing or feeling anything. I was just...not there. Everything around me seemed to constantly shift in wild waves of foggy haziness, and time abruptly stopped. All of a sudden, my shaky legs decided to move on their own; at first it at a fairly swift pace, then I broke into a full sprint. I was out of the house within ten seconds, and stopping wasn't exactly between my plans at the moment. Despite the fact that I was running blindly and with no specific direction, the numbness that plagued my entire being didn't allow my body to feel any tiredness at all.

Later on, the lack of air caught up with me, along with the exhaustion from expending my energy that quickly, so I fell down to my knees, my chest met the same fate afterward. When my lungs were filled again, I turned onto my back to take in my surroundings. I was in the woods on the outskirts of the city. In some way I was somewhat thankful of having nothing more than complete isolation surrounding me. The soft and sweet moon was my only company, my confidante and the only one who saw the forbidden tears that flowed freely down my cheeks like tiny rivers of immense sorrow.

I couldn't understand how those minuscule drops could hold such grief, such misery...

I cried harder than I thought possible; my broken sobs soon became wretched screams as I shouted my heart out. I thought that would bring some release, but in the end it just left me breathless and probably even hollower than before. _So, this is what true pain feels like..._Lying pitifully on the cold earth, with the endless chain of stars peeking curiously down at me, I couldn't help but to notice how petty humans really are. The buzzing waving echo of the civilization activity, the beaming glow the city exuded merely served as a reminder that the life in the world won't stop when we cease existing, that the death of someone would never alter the cycle of life. That's how insignificant we are.

After having been there for at last half an hour, I eventually got sick of the awful feeling of vulnerability and tried to stand up, still unsure if my wobbly legs would support me. Once I regained my steadiness, I glanced ahead, immediately spotting a wan-looking bridge not too far away. As I paced toward the bridge, the flimsy breeze that stroked my face and hair suddenly seemed to carry an eerily clear message; it whispered the inevitable question I knew I had to answer sooner or later... '_What am I gonna do now...?' _I started to go over the alternatives I had. I could always return to my house, face the horrible loss and my brothers, or...

I often wondered why I was even born, but now I think I know the answer for that dreadful query..._to die again. _The malicious voices inside my head rejoiced and snickered with wicked delight; I could feel them smirking, laughing at me, **daring** me to do something to prove them wrong. Hysterically, I searched deep within me, hoping against hope I could find a worthy reason, anything I could hold onto and live for. _Just give up...you have nothing to lose anymore... _A powerful feeling of hollowness washed over me as I realized I was alone, that these voices probably were right.

Prying my eyes from the floor, I forced myself to look down at the murky water dashing steadily and calmly, about 10 meters below the bridge. _Do it...you'll feel better. _Anger rushed through me like lighting and before I knew it, I was staring at the thick dark crimson as it slide from between my fingers and dripped from my hand, staining the pallid stone. Unconsciously, I became deeply fascinated with the way the moonlight gave the blood a fairly innocent and pure look, so I rested my elbows on the cold handrail to take a closer look.

I was mesmerized to say the least...

Suddenly, I felt the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. It was a peculiar feeling, and I knew very well I was being watched. All at once, I turned my head to the other side of the bridge, spotting the intruder right away and judging by the surprised look on his face, I can tell he wasn't expecting that. I was nearly as surprised though. It was a guy, probably my age, with shoulder-length auburn hair and wide chocolate eyes. However, what stunned me the most about him was the fact that he was **still** holding my gaze, not even blinking. An invisible smirk danced on my lips as I realized he wasn't as normal as he looked...Not many have the guts to act that nonchalant while I stare at them, let alone return the look. I had to admit I was impressed.

In some way I felt like I could already tell he would be a worthy friend, a rival perhaps...

_Wait...What the hell am I thinking? I don't even know him... _I frowned. Why in the world would I think that? I didn't have an answer to that, but what I did know was that I had to wait until that guy left to finish with this for once and all. Shock plagued my senses once I found that my body was paralyzed, as if in some sort of enchantment. I couldn't just look away from those brown eyes. Wearing the same old fake mask I wore every day, I turned away from him, trying to look as calm and collected as always. When he was finally out of my sight, I struggled recklessly to keep my focus on the sky, acting as if the moon and stars were calling me. I had the annoying feeling this wouldn't end just with that.

No...

I **knew** this was far from over.

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"How can you stay so calm? School starts in nine hours!"1 A small blue haired teen whined loudly, however his friend, who had previously placed himself in front of the computer, didn't seem to be aware of him at all. "Jaden…?" A frown crept its way over his childish face as he assumed he was being boorishly ignored. Inquisitively, he leaned closer to the other and peered over the brunette's shoulder in order to see the reason.

**Jaden's P.O.V.**

Dunno why, but I have the maddening feeling this will be a long night. Maybe it's the excitement of going back to school?...Nah...I've never been too fond of school anyway, so I might as well count that one out...Damn. The clock on Syrus' computer says its 11:44 pm and much to my surprise I'm not a bit tired. I wonder why...I mean, I don't really think Mrs. Truesdale was serious about what she said of chocolates. At least, that's what I'm hoping...Hmm…I could check on my mail while I'm still here. I leaned heavily on the comfy chair and started typing.

Just as I was contentedly zoning out, I heard Sy's voice address me softly, but remained silent and unmoving nonetheless. I felt sick just thinking how long he had been talking without me noticing. I had totally forgotten about him, even though I spent the whole day with the little guy. Soon after, I sensed him shifting closer as he glanced over the screen. I guess he was just looking for an explanation to my rude disregards, so I turned around to face him. That's when I noticed the lack of light in the room, the computer screen acted as the only source of illumination in the whole place.

"Sorry, pal...I kinda lost it for a minute..." Despite my odd sour mood, I put on one of my brightest smiles and stood up. I had to get out of there, mostly because of my sudden need to find a quiet, calm place to think and chill by myself. I faked what I hoped was a convincing yawn and stretched out "Well I guess I better get going. I'll need some good rest to put up with class, y'know. See ya tomorrow, buddy" I patted him on the back friendly, and by the time he reacted I was already gone. I dashed all the way down the stairs and through the front entrance, closing the door gently behind me. **_Finally!_**

Once out and a few blocks away, I decided to head over to the park. Syrus and I used to hang out there nearly everyday when we were kids. That's also the place I first saw him, twelve years ago. I had just moved in, and my parents were busy unloading, so they told me to go around and make some new friends. He was on the seesaw with his big brother, Zane; I walked closer to where they were and greeted them. I don't remember it all too clearly, but it doesn't take a photographic memory to recall Syrus timid smile and Zane's bored face. Even at that age, they've never been too close to each other as brothers should be.

My thoughts were interrupted when I realized I had arrived to my destiny. I like it better during daylight, but I could still see where I was footing, so the street lights were enough. My favorite place in the entire park was at the farthest end, but it was worth it. There's a large waterway with equally large yet narrow stone bridge. I like it 'cause it leads to an amazing viewpoint, not many meters uphill; you can see the whole city from there. I love to go there, but Syrus and Chumley would never come since the last time I persuaded them, both ended up fainting from exhaustion. I had a pretty hard time dragging them, so I never suggested it or even thought about it again. Until now...

As I was making my way through the park, a few meters from the waterway, I gasped noisily and nearly jumped out of my skin when I noticed there was a lone dark figure standing in the middle of the bridge, clearly male, with his arms rested on the stone handrail. From where I was I couldn't really make out most of his features, I could barely catch a glimpse of his profile, but I didn't need to look at his face to distinguish his strongest attribute: his long spiky midnight hair. His face wasn't any less enthralling, though; he had elegant high cheekbones and a delicately chiseled nose. He was..._God I can't believe I'm saying this..._good-looking. I had to give him that much.

Suddenly, he averted his formerly lost gaze in my direction. I guess he sensed my intense stare lingering on him. When our eyes finally met, I couldn't help but shudder as what felt like pure electricity crawled all the way up my spine. His gaze was far more powerful than mine, so fierce, but it didn't intimidate me enough as to break eye contact. I don't know why, but I couldn't stop looking at him and just turn away, it was like my body was acting on its own and it seemed as if my eyes were glued to his. A weak smile appeared on his lips, but vanished as fast as it came. Somehow I could feel there was something hidden behind that apparently solemn face. I could easily tell he was really sad by the way he looked absently back at me. After what felt like hours, he turned away uninterested and resumed looking sorrowfully at the dark sky.

My curiosity was now officially triggered...

End of Chapter 1

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(1) I don't actually know the exact time the high school students are supposed to be in school, we'll just pretend they go in at 9 a.m.

I hope you noticed the writing style changed according to the narrator (it was choppy with Jaden and slightly more eloquent with Chazz). That's because I'm uncertain whether some of the words I planned to use are in Jaden's vocabulary at all. I love him, so don't get the wrong idea.

It'll take at last 10 reviews to get my lazy ass to write the next chapter, so pleeaseee read and review!


	2. Savin' me

**Authoress' Note**: Okay, I know I said I wanted at least 10 reviews, however, since I'm new around here I guess I can't really get that bitchy. Now, for those who did review for me: **Haikari**, **X-Ruby-X, ****Forgottenmelodies, Forbidden Heaven,** **ShleyAay123****, Errol the flying evil thing, Littlest-Angel, Agent Malkere **and** Yugi'sgirl222** . You guys **ROCK**…You're probably the only reason I'm updating this. Thank you very much, I really appreciate it!

**Pairings: **Mostly ChazzJaden, one-sided JadenAster, but there'll be other pairings as well (suggestions are always welcome)

**Summary**: AU fic When you suddenly find your life shattered, you learn that love can be found in the most unpredictable places. Takes place through their last year of high school, so if you're looking for a Duel monsters story, this is not for you.

**Warning:** Yaoi, suicide attempt and all the good things in his world...

The lyrics are from **Nickelback's **_**'Savin' me'.**_ The whole idea for this fic came from this song, that's why I love it…

**Disclaimer: ****I don't own Yu Gi Oh GX or the lyrics. **

Enjoy!

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Chapter 2

"**Savin' Me"**

_**Prison gates won't open up for me**_

_**On these hands and knees I'm crawlin'**_

_**Oh, I reach for you**_

Shifting his weight from one foot to the other uneasily, Jaden fought hard to suppress the vicious battle that took place on his mind. Should he go and speak to this suddenly interesting stranger, or should he just leave him alone? For all he knew, it was probable that this captivating outsider was there to chill out or just spend some time on his own. He knew and understood it because that was exactly what he wanted.

In the end, he chose to leave.

From his spot on the middle of the bridge, Chazz remained quiet and merely watched out of the corner of his eye as the brunette's silhouette slowly disappeared in between the trees until his whole body was completely engulfed by darkness. Without that bothersome nuisance, there was nothing standing on his way to ultimate freedom. Fearlessly and with a cat-like grace, he rested both his palms on the handrail and easily lifted himself up, planting his feet firmly on the coarse stone. Once up, he crouched and glanced downwards, mentally estimating the damage of a fall from that height. There was a gap of about 10 meters between the bridge and the ground, with a thin shield of water coating the pointed amount of rocks that peeked from beneath its surface.

As soon as his weary mind grasped the details of his upcoming demise, a blunt sting of invisible pain flashed through his chest, immobilizing him completely. He brought a shaky hand to his stricken torso, awfully baffled by the abrupt jabs his body was enduring, assuming for a second that he was actually having a heart attack. '_What the heck w__as that?!' _After the fearful thoughts subsided, realization decided to knock on his skull. '_Wait...Why am I so_ _worried?_ _That's what I wanted in the first place, isn't it...?' _

In some way, he knew there was something stopping him, some kind of immovable, thick barrier, like a spell that paralyzed both his mind and body. He couldn't understand it, but he was sure it was there nonetheless, so he decided to reflect on his future actions until the white dots that blurred his sight vanished.

Was it what he really wanted? It was like his soul was split in two parts: the one that wished for nothing more than just disappearing from this rotten world, and the other, the prudent, stubborn one that struggled restlessly against it. Through his troubled eyes it seemed neither would satisfy him at all. Why does everything have to be so hard? Perhaps he was just exaggerating and it wasn't really that bad. He had pretended to be happy for 17 years, after all, so why not keep pretending?

'_I'm sick of this, that's why...'_

Then again, how could he be sure if he'd never felt happiness long enough in his whole life to even know what was right and what was wrong? He had waited for a long time for something good to happen, and when that day finally comes, just when he thought he could finally move on and away from the shadows of misery, **this** happens. _'Why? Why is it always me? Is this some kind of punishment for something I haven't even done yet? If so, why? I don't get it and...I'm starting to think I never will...' _Still...

Maybe this wasn't the only solution to his problems...

Maybe he could still try to mend his pitifully shattered life. But...

**Maybe** _he_ didn't want to...

He was just so tired, both physically and mentally, of trying and failing miserably. Also, he knew perfectly well it wasn't as simple as assembling an ordinary puzzle, mainly because he wouldn't be able to do it alone. Not that The Chazz needed help from anyone, mind you. It's just easier when someone's there with you, **for** you. The problem was that he didn't have any friends and his brothers could care less if he died right now. No one cared...'_Since when am I so wimpy?' _It was then that, grunting quietly, he settled on waiting until he felt ready todo it. He had plenty of time to waste, after all...

_**Well I'm terrified of these four walls**_

_**These iron bars can't hold my soul in**_

_**All I need is you**_

* * *

Jaden looked up from the muddy ground and strained his eyes to see in the dark, searching for any sign of the narrow path he recognized as a shortcut. He was so concentrated on finding the track that he didn't see the bulky rock that was stood out among the arid grass. He landed flat on his face with a loud thud, a groan of pain escaped his lips the moment his chest collided with the solid ground. Placing his hands on each side of his head, he lifted his upper body off the earth, spiting some parched leafs when his face was detached from the dirt_. 'So much for trying to have some peace...' _He was starting to lose his patience, but he refrained from doing so by reminding himself why he was there, and what was awaiting him a few meters ahead. Still on his knees, he opted for some rest before climbing the small hill. Supporting his weight on one hand, he rolled over to sit on his rear, finally fixing his gaze on the gloomy, yet sparkly sky. 

It only took him a few minutes to notice the missing bulge on his pocket. Jumping to his feet as if he had just been bitten, he patted his thigh and growled when his fingers detected the wide rip on the bottom of his pocket. '_Damn...I knew lending Sy the pruning shears was a bad idea..._' He and his friend were asked by Mrs. Truesdale to cut the weeds from the garden after they _accidentally_ broke her favorite porcelain vase while playing football inside the house. It didn't take a brilliant detective to figure the rest out...

This was definitely not his day...

Sighing with clear annoyance, he turned around and walked back to where he had come from. It wasn't because of the money he had in that wallet, but because of the precious treasure inside it, which not only was significant, it was **priceless**. It was the last picture he had of his father.

His father...

'_It's been a long time, pops..._' He smiled sadly, his chest weighed down in a mixture of bitterness and melancholy. Up to now, he hadn't been able to understand why God had decided to take such a kind and warm person away. He was pretty young when that fateful day came, so he didn't remember it all too well. They were visiting his grandparents for Christmas when his father was sent to the store to buy some things for the dinner. In some inexplicable and unearthly way, the instant his father disappeared behind the door, he already knew it would be the last time he'd ever see him...

**+-Flashback-+**

_The sun was starting to set, announcing the end of a cold and snowy __day, faint sunlight was being swallowed by the familiar but still mysterious darkness called night. It was Christmas Eve, the happiest and most waited date of the year; everyone was in their houses celebrating with their families and close friends, enjoying and sharing good moments. Inside one house in particular, dinner was just about to be served, the cozy, welcoming feeling of cheerfulness and merriment filled the air, along with the sound of jovial laughter and chatter among relatives._

_**Show me what it's like**_

_**To be the last one standing**_

_**And teach me wrong from right**_

_**And I'll show you what I can be**_

_In the midst of all commotion, a small brown haired boy stood out despite his feeble size, his red winter clothes and somewhat curious eye color made his appearance all more exceptional. He was sitting on the couch, motionlessly watching the most important woman in is life as she wandered gracefully around the kitchen, most likely helping out with the preparations for the feast. There wasn't much a 6_ (1)_ old kid could do to entertain himself in that living room, after all. Awfully bored, the boy got up from his comfortable position in the sofa and paced around, looking for his father, who he knew would surely play with him._

"_Daaaad...Where are you?" He whined softly, peeking through every single door in the house searching for any sign of his father, but found nothing. When he got tired of looking around with no avail, he headed for the last place he supposed he'd find him. Tugging at the handle, he stepped outside the house and, much to his surprise, recognized the broad frame sitting on the small steps in front of the entrance. "Dad...?" Said man didn't answer right away, just turned around and smiled warmly at his son. Finally, he patted the floor next to him, beckoning him to sit down next to him, which the boy did without delay._

"_Guess you were bored, uh?" After he got a fervent nod as a response, he wrapped one arm around the little brunette, who wordlessly cuddled in return. It was really cold outside and he didn't put his __coat on before slipping out of the house. The man chuckled lightheartedly; it seemed obvious to him that his wife didn't see his son or him getting out..._

"_Yeah...And I was looking for you!" He retorted rather loudly with the sweetness and enthusiasm only a child can muster. "I was bored because no one wanted to play with me!" Then, as is he had just remembered where they were, he shivered faintly, the silence was broken by the sound of teeth chattering together furiously. Shrugging off his coat, he perched it on the boy's shoulders, who smiled at the feeling of the woolen heat surrounding him in a secure manner. "Aren't you cold? Why are you here? Were you going somewhere? Can I go with you?" Despite the swift way the chain of questions was thrown at him, the man seemed unfazed and the grin that illuminated his face only grew wider, if possible._

"_Whoa, slow down buddy, one question at a time..." He laughed at the predictable keen behavior, ruffling the younger's hair affectionately. "Besides, I'm not going anywhere...Actually, I was just about to get in. C'mon..." Scooping the kid into his arms easily, he got up and headed for the door, however, a weak tug on his sweater stopped him from entering. He looked down and was surprised to see that a frown had appeared on his son's face._

"_You didn't answer my question, Dad!" Having a small yet peevishly accusing finger in front of his nose, the older man sighed and shifted the auburn eyed boy's weight on his arms to add more security on his hold. He looked around as if to check there was nobody listening or watching and leaned forward, like he was just about to reveal the world's top secret, urging the child to come closer._

"_Promise not to tell anyone?" The energy displayed in the fervent nod the boy offered strangely reminded him of himself when he was younger. Somehow he could already tell his son would always have that bright, welcoming light around him, along with that easy-going and carefree attitude. "I came here because Aunt Vicky's speech about manners was driving me insane! 'You shouldn't sit like that, dear. That is unless you want to spend the rest of your life with a big hump attached to your back'..." He impersonated said woman, imitating her fake Britannic accent with uncanny ease. Both father and son snickered quietly, trying their hardest to keep their voices low so no one else could hear them. "We better get in now, 'cause I'm pretty sure your mother's looking for us..." _

_Turning the door handle slowly, they slipped in soundlessly, careful to not attract anyone's attention. As soon as they noticed everyone seemed unsuspicious of them, the older man set his son down and whispered for him to go and sit down on the couch. The child obeyed without complain, and focused his attention on the adult's conversation. He was so concentrated on trying to understand some strange words the grown-ups were using that he didn't see the huge viewfinder aimed directly in front of his face. He barely had time to react before a bright, blinding light enveloped his sight the moment after a clicking sound reached his ears. His first reaction was to bring his hands up to his eyes, furiously rubbing them to get rid of the burning sensation that still squeezed his eyeballs._

_**Say it for me**_

_**Say it to me**_

_**And I'll leave this life behind me**_

_**Say it if it's worth saving me**__**…**_

"_You like it, shrimp? Uncle Ben gave me this for Christmas. Cool, isn't it?" A teen with russet hair and dark brown eyes towered over the boy, proudly holding in his hands a considerably large camera, the kind only professional photographers used. He sneered meanly when he caught a glimpse of the screen of unshed tears that coated chocolate, bloodshot eyes. "What's wrong? Does poor little Jaden wants to cry?" He taunted mockingly, using a childish tone to emphasize his words. He was about to take another photograph, just to irritate the younger further, but stopped when a larger hand grabbed his precious camera and snatched it softly from his grasp. _

"_Hey, that's a good idea. Here, take us a picture!" The man said as he returned it, then he gathered his son in his arms and posed for the camera. Jaden didn't know when or when it came from, but another burst of intense lighting surrounded the world around him, much to his annoyance. The instant he was put down, he swore that camera wouldn't exist much longer if those unexpected flashes continued._

"_Dinner's ready, everyone!" He didn't need to see to recognize it was his mother's voice, or that she was the one who took his head and guided him to what he guessed was the dinner room. Everything was slowly starting to come into focus, and soon enough he noticed he was actually sitting next to his father, who grinned lovingly down at him. "Honey..." Two brunette heads turned toward her, making her smile and tap her husband's shoulder to indicate it was him she was calling. "Do me a favor and please go to the grocery store. There's just not enough bread and-" Her statement was suddenly cut off when a husky, coarse voice called from the living room._

"_Tell him to bring more beer! A party is not a party without beer!" Replies that sounded like 'This is not a party, Ben. We are actually celebrating a decent Christmas dinner here!' and 'If you want beer, then go to a bar. This is a Christian house, for goodness sake!' could be heard from the living room as well. With a final sigh of defeat, the brown haired man rose from his sit and grabbed his coat from the clothe rack. He was about to cross through the doorframe when an enthusiastic voice addressed him rather loudly from behind._

"_Dad, wait! Can I go with you? Please? Please?" The older male grimaced inwardly. He was about to say yes, but then he remembered there was a dirty mouthed beggar outside the store, and the last time he took Jaden with him, it took them months to get their son to stop repeating the 'new word he learned in the supermarket'. He certainly didn't want to go through all that again, mainly because his wife would kill him if that happened... _

"_Um...I'll be back in a sec, okay?" He grinned at the small pouting face, extremely surprised at how effective it actually was. Ruffling the boy's head one last time, he turned around and closed the door gently behind him. Jaden's young mind couldn't understand why his eyes watered at the sight of his father's retreating backside or why his chest suddenly was overwhelmed with an awful sinking feeling...He couldn't quite describe it or place what it was, he was just sure he didn't liked it at all..._

_He didn't know he would later cherish that warm smile more than anything else, for it was the last time he actually saw it..._

_**Heaven's gates won't open up for me**_

_**With these broken wings I'm fallin'**_

_**And all I see is you**_

**+-End flashback-+**

'_Funny how things turn out bad when we last expect them to__...' _He mused to himself. In the end, he knew that moving on was all he could do after that. He had to. If not for himself, then for his mother's sake. His mother...Oh how she cried after the phone was hung up. He could still hear her sorrowful whimpers echoing through his head even on his sleep. How would anyone imagine an insane man, who had just murdered his wife cold-blooded, would try to rob the very same store his father had gone to?

Dragging his gaze throughout the mud-covered path, he scanned the land, trying to spot anything unusual among the plants and rocks covering it. Just when his weary mind told him to give up, he spotted something rather opaque that, despite being darker than the ground, stood out with the help of the glossy moonlight. God, never had his wallet looked so good, even with all the dirt it caught from lying in the floor. He was about to head back, **again, **when he was suddenly reminded of his previous encounter with Mr. Mysterious... _'Hmm...I bet he's not even there anymore...'_

Once again, he found himself debating whether he should leave or not. Oh well, a brief peek wouldn't hurt, would it?

And so, as we all know, curiosity killed the cat...

With the grace of a mouse, he slipped soundlessly in between trees and bushes; he was half-expecting to hear the crunching sound of twigs breaking beneath his feet, like it always happened on the movies, but it never did. While he was dodging a low branch, he felt his heart unexpectedly jump up to his throat as he stared at the sight in front of him, extremely shocked to even think of bearing a noise. It was the guy he bumped into earlier.

_He _was currently sitting.

...on the bridge's handrail

'_Talk about a weird place to sit on..._' The black haired teen had his back to him, so Jaden couldn't see his face. Now that he thought about it, he still hasn't been able to fully look at his face or even see his eyes. _'Hmm...I wonder what color they are...' _Were they blue? Yes. A dark, cerulean blue would suit that striking face just right. He was so engaged trying to guess which color the other's eyes were that he couldn't help but to flinch when he caught some movement out of the corner of his own eyes.

"What do you want from me, uh?" The hidden brunette could swear his hear skipped a beat when the spiky haired one, all of a sudden, stood up, **still** on the handrail and seemed to be talking with no one. '_So that's what his voice sounds like_...' It was hoarse and raspy, but he wasn't really expecting it to be any other way. It actually fitted him, he thought. It was just when the black coated boy spread out his arms that he began to worry. He paced carefully and slowly toward the other, stopping not too far behind him. His presence surprisingly went completely unnoticed.

"I already gave you everything I have! What else can you take away from me now?! Or better yet, what did I do to deserve all this?! Please tell me, because I'd like to know!"

Awfully confused and shocked by such out burst, Jaden merely watched as the strange scene played out in front of him.

_**These city walls ain't got no love for me**_

_**I'm on the ledge of the eighteenth story**_

_**And oh I scream for you**_

* * *

_Suicide__…_

Such a fascinating yet, at the same time, disturbing word...

It wasn't the first time he ever thought about doing it, and it certainly hadn't been just once. He had planned this several times in the past. He used to spend his free time inventing unusual, creative ways and places he could perform it. But none of that mattered now. Why?

Because his life had blown apart right in front of his face without him being able to do anything about it. His plans, his faith, his will...

All gone, just like that...

"What do you want from me, uh?" Not able to take it anymore, he tilted his head heavenwards, and decided he might as well ask the almighty one hidden behind the stars defiantly. With no concern about losing his steadiness or his grip on the stone, he stood up on the narrow handrail and outstretched his arms into the sky, screaming his statement at the top of his lungs. "I already gave you everything I have! What else can you take away from me now?! Or better yet, what did I do to deserve all this?! Please tell me, because I'd like to know!"

Was happiness something he wasn't allowed to have? To him, happiness was like a butterfly. Just when it lands on your hand and allures you with its bright colored beauty, it flies away without warning, leaving you to wonder what you did or say wrong to make it go away...

The faint breeze that slide through his bangs and caressed his face caused him to sway slightly, bringing him back to the matter at hand.

He had seen this happening countless times in his dreams, replayed it in his mind and even made arrangements about it. What really bothered him now was that in his dreams, there wasn't a sliver of doubt on his eyes as he jumped, stabbed or slashed himself. In other words, he **never** hesitated to do it; he just did it so he could get it over with and wake up from another one of his lunatic, subconscious-narrated tales. What was different this time? He growled without knowing why.

'_Is it because they're only dreams...?'_ Then, as a swirl of anxiety and desperation strained him from the inside out, a hysterical smile spread across his pale lips. '_So then I guess I'll just pretend to be dreaming...' _Closing his eyes without even taking one last glance, he allowed gravity to do its natural job; having no hold on the stone anymore, his body began to fall forward.

_**Hurry I'm fallin', I'm fallin', I'm fallin'**_

It was the end...

That is, until a pair of arms pulled him back into reality.

Jaden didn't know why or when, but when the image of the dark haired teen going down finally sunk into his mind, he dashed up to him without thinking about it. Clasping the coat tightly in one of his hands, he wrapped his other arm around the falling teenager's midriff and yanked him back as hard as he could. Both landed on cold, the sound of the impact was swallowed by the chocked grunt that came from Chazz's mouth. Sitting up like a spring, the brunette realized why the collision hadn't hurt that much.

He wasn't the one who took the fall.

Horrified, he stared at the unmoving form lying on the ground next to him, eyes closed. _'Damn...he must've hit his head!' _Having experienced nothing similar in the past, he did the first thing that came to his mind. He panicked.

Greatly...

Leaning closer, he reached out to touch the back of a spiky head, trying to sense with his fingers any anomaly. He sighed with immense relief when, having his hand back, he found it to be free of any dark wetness. '_So there's no bleeding? Good...Wait. What if he has an internal bleeding...No. It wasn't that bad...was it?' _Medical attention! If he was right then _he_ needed medical assistance immediately. He looked down at the serene face and, regardless of the bizarre situation he was currently in, there was only one thing on his mind at the moment.

What if he never got to see the color of those eyes...?

He didn't have much time to think about it, though, since the object of his creepy musing stirred slightly beneath his unfocused gaze. He muttered something, still lost in oblivion. The brunette guessed it couldn't be something good, judging by the pained frown that appeared on the pale boy's face, so he bowed his head and brought his ear near the other's mouth.

"_Love_...?"

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

_**Show me what it's like**_

_**To be the last one standing**_

_**And teach me wrong from right**_

_**And I'll show you what I can be**_

_It wasn't really tha__t clear for him to describe it; all he could remember was the sickening sensation of falling and knowing there wouldn't be any escape from it, then, everything was an explosion of white, red and grey. _

**Black**

_There was nothing but shadows around him__. Where the hell was he? Had he died already? Why did he felt so light and, yet so heavy? Just as he thought his confusion would never end, light suddenly enveloped his view, he could feel a warm, welcoming feeling leaking from it. _

"_Sweetheart, wake up!" That voice. It sounded like it was far away from him, and it was just so...familiar. He knew who that voice belonged to._

"_Mom...?" He asked, still uncertain whether it was really who he thought and hoped it was._

"_I'm here..." The warm feeling swiftly intensified as comfortable warmth was poured into him, making him feel safe and protected. Yes. That alone answered his questions. _

_He was dead._

"_No, you're not..." She sounded upset. "Chazz, listen. I know this is hard for you, but doing this will only make things worse" He felt something caressing his cheek in a loving way, the simple action expressed more sentiment than a thousand words ever would. "Love is tough, but it has beautiful surprises for all of us and, in the worst cases, it can even save your life. Take care of your brothers for me, honey. We love you" A tender kiss was placed gently on his forehead, the last farewell he got before his world went black again. _

"Love...?" He repeated the cryptic word, trying to reach the fading light with his hand, gracing nothing more than air with his fingers. Jaden yelped softly when a pale limb rose into the air, mere inches from his face, only to fall limply back on the floor as if it never moved in the first place.

The brunette couldn't really help the shocked gasp that seeped through his lips when those stony grey eyes fluttered open and locked with his own.

_**Say it for me**_

_**Say it to me**_

_**And I'll leave this life behind me**_

_**Say it if it's worth saving me...**_

End of Chapter 2

* * *

Crappy, I know. Please live with it... 

(1) For those of you who were paying attention, Jaden met Syrus when he was 6, right? Well, his family moved in on July, and his father died in December of the same year, more precisely on Christmas. In the previous chapter I said they were 18, but in fact they're 17. What I meant to say was that they'll be 18 once they graduate. I just wanted to explain that... Please excuse my inexpert clumsiness…(slaps forehead and laughs nervously) Sorry for the lateness. I'm too slow for my own good...

Oh, one more thing. From what we've all seen Chumley didn't enter Duel Academy the same year Jaden and the others did, right? Well, in this story they're all the same age and year.


	3. Nobody's Home

**Authoress' Note:** I'm sorry for the lateness, but school and the final exams are kicking my ass. Badly...Once again, I must thank all my readers for being so patient 'cause as you can see, I'm really slow...But I love you all and I'll keep updating 'till the end of my days (or the end of this story. Whatever comes first…) Thank you very much **Yugi'sgirl222, Littlest Angel**, **Agent Malkere, ****ShleyAay123**, **Syd-Chan,** **Feng-Chan, GintaxAlvissForever,** **Greatkid4869 and Crazyfaucet **for your reviews! You guys really help me get inspired!

**Pairings**: Mostly ChazzJaden and one-sided JadenAster, but there'll be other pairings as well (suggestions are always welcome)

**Summary**: AU fic When you suddenly find your life shattered, you learn that love can be found in the most unpredictable places. Takes place through their last year of high school, so if you're looking for a Duel monsters story, this is not for you.

**Warning**: BoyxBoy love, mature language, creepiness and more! So if you don't like it and you still leave a discouraging review, it means you're a complete idiot...

**Disclaimer: I don't own Yu Gi Oh GX; therefore I have no right over any of the characters in this story**

Here we go...Hope you like it!

* * *

Chapter 3

"**Nobody's home"**

Jaden didn't know when or who, but he was convinced someone had pushed him into some peculiar new world. A world wisely named Insanity, and he was currently wandering aimlessly on the dark and broad streets of Confusion City. Maybe the fact that he was staring into the incredibly close face of a complete stranger and with no control whatsoever of his body had something to do about it...His almost non-existent reason had to intervene as it practically dragged him away from the fallen one's already violated personal space.

The list of things he wanted to do to the half-dazed teen was pretty much endless. He wanted to punch him for being so stupid, he wanted to yell at him and then grab him from his coat and shake him until he regained his senses, but with his brain stuck in the midst of a chaotic whirlwind, he couldn't bring himself to do any of those. Instead, he just sat there, speechless and unable to break free from the powerful spell those eyes cast on him. It was like everything he wanted to say suddenly vanished inside his head and buried itself in the deepest parts of his mind where he could not reach it, no matter how much he tried. The awfully uncomfortable silence that settled upon them not only made it harder for him to conceive any words, but it also served to unnerve him further.

However, if he thought he had never felt so confused in his entire life, then he couldn't even imagine how Chazz felt at the moment. There were countless things crossing the black haired teen's mind at the moment and yet, he could not name or remember a single one. Had he really hit his head that bad? Plopping himself up on one elbow, he used his free hand to cradle his throbbing skull. Where was he again...?

Then, as if the answer for all his queries had been laid out in front of him, he rose up to his full height and started to pace away from the red clad teen, heading in the same direction he had come from. He felt light headed and disoriented because of the sudden blood rush, but he paid no attention to that. He just wanted to go home.

Or somewhere else for that matter...

It took Jaden a few seconds and a considerably large amount of willpower to finally snap out of it. "W-wait!...Where are you going?" Swiftly leaping to his feet, he hurried over to the other's side, not prying his eyes off him for a second. It wasn't everyday he saw someone who had just fallen from an altitude of 3 feet and landed on their head get up that fast. He was somewhere in the middle of impressed and scared.

"Since when is that any of your business? Who are you, anyways?...Why am I even talking to you...?" He retorted without even looking back, leaving a rather shocked and puzzled brunette behind. The latter merely stared mindlessly at the backside of the person he had been worrying about mere seconds ago, the hurt those words inflicted on him boldly written on his face.

That didn't mean he'd give up, though...

It wasn't long before Chazz became aware of the fact that, for each step he took, the cinnamon eyed boy advanced two. And thus, he kept walking as Jaden continued to follow him closely.

"Were you trying to…k-kill yourself?" Regardless of how naïve and silly he sounded for asking the obvious, his ever so probing curiosity compelled him to spit the question out. Deciding he might as well forget it, he resumed his odd version of a pursuit, all the while eyeing cautiously where he was footing.

"No...I was about to spread my wings and fly off...Of course I was trying to fucking kill myself!" The shorter one grimaced at the harshness and coldness that outstandingly oozed from those words, yet he kept on tagging along. Despite the fact that he barely knew the raven haired teen and that he was, by the looks of it, downright scary, he couldn't bring himself to be afraid of him. Sure, the guy was quite intimidating, he had to admit, but he had a weak side to him as well. Why else would he try to commit suicide?

Meanwhile, Chazz was starting to get annoyed. Why was this pest **still **following him? Even though the brunette's presence wasn't really threatening, he still felt uncomfortable around him. And he had every right to do so. An average person would feel endangered or even frightened if someone started to follow them from nowhere.

But he wasn't an average person...

"_Look_. I don't know why you're still here **nor **why I care, but why don't we just pretend this didn't happen?" He suggested in a kind, perturbed manner, and this time his comments succeeded in making the other uneasy. An incredibly pleased smirk spread across his face when the lack of additional footsteps informed him the bouncy teenager wasn't chasing him anymore.

'_Damn…talk about fast mood swings...'_ Jaden's mind unexpectedly wandered to another channel. Should he warn the grouchy teen about the...

Fixing his eyes on the road that rested in front of him, Chazz tried to mentally retrace the exact route his disconcerted mood had guided him through. "Not as simple as it soun-aaah...!" All the brunette could do was watch how the black coated teen's form plummeted on to the ground, his soft features involuntarily shifted into a wince as soon as the startled yelp and the hollow thud that quickly followed reached his ears.

'_Too late...' _Without a giving it a second thought, he hurried over the fallen one's side, his chocolate, expressive eyes shone with a mixture of concern and amusement as he towered over the taller teen. A short nervous laugh broke through his dried lips when that mighty stony gaze clashed with his.

_**Weird**_...

It was the only word that popped into his mind when he tried to describe the emotions that shook his being as he returned the stare, if only because he couldn't come up with a better term at the moment. Feeling a huge amount of sympathy balling up inside him, he offered an apologetic smile and stretched his hand out to let the other know he wanted to help him up. Why he felt like helping _him_ after such rejection was far beyond his concern.

He just did and that was all he needed to know.

That said, why wasn't he surprised when his hand was rudely slapped away, or when the dark haired one got up and walked past him as if he wasn't even there at all...? He sighed…It was going to be a long night, after all...It was the very first time in his whole life that he wasn't happy about being right on his predictions.

"Do you usually go around stalking people or something? Because let me tell you, it's creepy. Plus, it sort of gets boring with time..."

In this broad, broad world, there are a lot of things that can get _the_ Chazz Princeton mad. _**A**__**lot**_being the key word. It wasn't really that uncommon to hear him ranting his ass off every single morning or night, but even he had a limit per day, which he had already reached by now. And despite that, it took him all his inner self-control to hold back his rage when a wide grin became visible on the brunette's face.

"No. And do you usually go around jumping from bridges that often?" The chocolate eyed teen countered with as much sarcasm his incredibly tangled mind could summon, only to be stunned when he recognized that voice to be actually his own. He was about to try and take his words back, but all of a sudden, the angry frown that darkened the other's pale face dissolved into an impassive expression, leaving him with no reason to apologize.

"Fuck off..." Using the most monotonous and dry voice he could muster, he asked in a somewhat irritated tone, his words were merely the ghost of a whisper. After seeing that all his comments would bounce off the brunette no matter how much poison they carried, he decided there was only one thing he could do to get the peace and quiet he so keenly desired.

'_Ignore him..._'

It made sense, but...why did it pull a string at his heart at the mere sight of the other's upset face? Or better yet, how could this _stranger_trigger a sea of emotions with a plain defiant stare? The answer just kept eluding him. 'I don't'...I can't..! Arg...I **need** to get away...' It wasn't because he was afraid of the auburn haired boy. He was afraid of having company, which possibly could lead to friendship, which means involving oneself...

Seeing the lost, yet thoughtful look that materialized on the short-tempered one's face, Jaden mused on what he ought to do next.

'Grumpy or not, I can't just leave him alone...' Then, on one of those rare occasions, intelligence decided to kindly wink at him as it sparked a bright tail of an idea and, this time, he didn't have to chase it around his head. Indeed, he would follow him, as well as keep an eye on him, but he would have to do it without being noticed. He darted into the first alley his gaze spotted and, like any first-class hunter, he hid in the shadows...

and waited...

**Chazz's P.O.V**

Inside my head, a vicious discussion between my conscience and my logic started...Should I just run away and leave him behind? Maybe, I could lose him if I follow those alleys. That or I'd end up getting lost and out of track...

Then, as I continued advancing through what I firmly believed to be the correct way home, one thought in particular came up to me and punched me squarely on the face. I was suddenly reminded of the fact that I haven't asked him nicely...

Yeah right...'_Could you please stop following me?_' '_Sure_'

'See?' Another voice argued back 'It doesn't work like that...'

I doubted those words would **ever** leave my mouth, anyway. Tired to the point of almost passing out, I allow the breath trapped inside my throat to slither in between my lips. Regardless of the absurdity of that plan and the forgotten _little_ fact that I wasn't able to even picture myself saying that, that was what the voice in the back of my head, the good one at least, kept telling me to do.

Turning around, I was mildly disappointed to find the sidewalk deserted, except for some homeless guy snoring noisily in the midst of it. Of course...

Why am I surprised?

In the end, everyone always leaves. It's the same thing every single day.

Paying no attention to the jab of pain and the frustrated feeling that pulled at the torn ends of my sanity, I resume my silent walk. What's the point in going back, anyways? It's not like anyone was waiting for me there. Nobody's home, after all...

Shuddering slightly, I quicken my pace as soon as I sense something amiss, all the while fighting against the gloomy memories that threatened to reappear and shove me back into the depths of misery. It was like a dark abysmal I couldn't escape from, like I was blind and trapped inside a labyrinth with no way out. An endless cycle...

**My** cycle.

I wonder... Is life like this to everyone, or am I just some special case?

I'm like a hopeless bird, trapped inside a spacious iron cage. Even if the doors of my jail opened up wide, I would only rise into the air with these flawed wings for a fake instant, for I'd fall back into the floor, just to lay there, miserable and defeated.

Where I belong...

And even though my mind was still trying to deny it, I knew I should be familiar with that already. How silly of me to think it would change just because I wished for it, to think that I deserved a happy ending...I knew very well my life wasn't and would never be a fairytale. Heck, I couldn't even call the amount of time I've spent on this rotted world a life.

If it sounds confusing, then please allow me to explain myself.

There's a fine line between being alive and feeling alive. Both are a part of life, but they compliment each other. Living means breathing, loving or being loved, caring for something or someone, losing, winning... Sure, I was alive, however, on the inside, I had long ago died. And, although it sounds ironic as hell, death was brought upon me by none other than life itself.

Funny, isn't it?

After the flow of bitter thoughts ceased, another question drilled its way into my mind. It set off a sequence of fragments of the conversation I had earlier with _that_ idiot. I wasn't talking about Slade or Jagger, I was talking about _**him**_. The persistent, stupid one...

Err...Scratch that. They're** all** stupid...

The point IS that there was still something I couldn't understand. It was like I wanted him to go away, and yet, at the same time, I wanted him to stay.

Unreasonable? Well, I never said this was going to be an educational reading, now did I?

Ugh...That fucking high-pinched voice still haunts me...

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Advancing with extreme stealth and using the shadows to his advantage, Jaden moved in and out of the alleys in a zigzag motion, careful as to not attract any unwanted attention. But then again, being in the middle of a dark street in the dead of night, there wasn't much he could do to actually get someone to notice him. It was just so...

**Perfect.**

Although it was midnight, it was still a city and the constant stream of people never really died down. It reduced, perhaps, but never stopped. That's why he often would lose visual contact with his subject. The only reason he hadn't lost sight of him completely was because of that outstanding spiky black hair.

Speaking of which...

How did the taller boy manage to walk around with those spikes without poking some eyes out in the process? '_Heh...maybe he did already. Um...Not that he needs his hair to do it, though...' _Now that he thought about it, he had touched those spikes before and they weren't that rigid. They were as shiny and soft as they could possibly be...

Once again, his attention was wholly focused on the dark haired teen's appearance.

And so it stayed like that until the footsteps of his 'prey' came to a halt, causing him to almost blow his own covers in a way that could only be described as incredibly sloppy. Glancing up, all the brunette could do was gape repeatedly at the sight before him.

Before them stood, ever so imposingly and in all its luxurious majesty, a pearl colored manor with equally imposing stony walls surrounding it.

Certainly, the house was gorgeous and all, but that didn't explain why the other stopped. Was he admiring this amazing residence? He couldn't blame him, really; he himself liked to do so every once in a while. His theory, however, lost all its sense when his eyes discerned the insecure look that had taken place on the black haired teen's face.

Even from his position behind a thick shield of darkness, Jaden could still perceive some of the taller teen's features; he just failed to accurately recognize every single one of the emotions that flashed through them. An air of bitterness and despair embraced the dark form; the wind seemed to be in sync with his feelings, for it grew colder and stronger.

In the ridiculously short time he had known him, the brunette could already tell with no hesitation that he had seen more sides of the gloomy boy than anyone else ever had before.

And still, of all the things he would've expected the other to do next, kicking the wall boldly with one of his foot wasn't really too high on his list. What stunned him even more was that the bulky rock, instead of stubbornly remain put, actually dislodged itself from the rest of the structure; the grass served as a sponge for the impact resonance. Ever so carefully, the temperamental teenager lifted the rock with remarkable ease and carefully plopped it back into place.

"What the hell is he doing...?" The question was whispered lowly, the gentle breeze and shadowy trees its only listeners. Just when he thought he could in fact foresee the raven haired teenager's moves and play the role of the all-knowing one, the other would purposely turn the tables around to fool him.

As frustrating and annoying it was admitting it, he had to recognize it was working...

Even though it sounded unwise and tactless, Jaden reflected on whether he should slip in as well in order to stop the dark haired teen from doing anything stupid, until the sound of quick steps roughly hauled him out of his self-musings. He could swear his heart instinctively skipped a beat when a pair of black Dobermans all of a sudden dashed out of the vast yard and lunged for who the brunette considered an intruder at neck-breaking speed.

His mind automatically shifted into alarm mode...

Gasping hysterically, he was about to thrust his own foot into the stone and break in, but when he strained his eyes to catch a glimpse of what was happening, the cumbersome weight oppressing his chest suddenly faded. Instead of attacking and tearing him into pieces, the dogs merely pounced upon him; the might of the collision almost forced them into the ground. They licked his face and nuzzled him affectionately, their tails swayed from side to side non stop.

It all made sense to him after that. There was no denying it. It was indeed the onyx eyed boy's house.

Though Jaden wasn't able to see it due to the darkness that reigned over the fresh air of that august night, a weak smile persistently tugged on the corners of a pale, normally still mouth.

He really loved his pets. His father bought them three years ago, when they still lived in their former house, and had intended for them to be guardian dogs, but seeing as Chazz was the only one in his family who actually took notice of them, it was only understandable that their loyalty would be entirely with him. They made good guardians, of course, and they always obeyed him dutifully, even when it came to attacking his brothers, but they also had taken a fondness for ambushing him every single time their eyes, noses or ears perceived him.

The only negative thing he could find about them was the fact that they were awfully possessive. It was kind of funny to watch them chase away his obsessed ex-girlfriends or just insistent girls that pretty much stalked him on the hallways. Certainly, it sounded like a good thing, however, when it came to his friends or chicks he did like, it turned out to be a real problem.

A loud, pleading bark yanked his feet from the clouds of reflection and back to safe earth. Glancing down, he wasn't really surprised to find two sets of dark brown eyes looking expectantly back at him; ears lowered themselves until they rested flatly against black furry heads, as if they were demanding him to pet them. He smirked faintly and patted their heads playfully, striding away and toward the main gates afterwards.

Sighing exasperatedly, the brunette let out the stale breath he hadn't realized he had been holding and, with the patience he didn't know he still possessed, he awaited in the shadows and followed the other teen as he arrived to the entrance, but instead of knocking, he meekly stood there, unmoving and pensive. What was he waiting for? Then, just when he was shifting away from his hiding spot, he spotted a pallid, square button resting innocently on the stone wall. It was practically screaming at him "_Here, press me!_"

'Hmm...I wonder if that's...'

Not really thinking about the consequences, he shoved his whole hand and pressed onto it, a distant ringing noise echoed around the silent house, the spiky headed teen's head snapped up instantly and he staggered a few steps back.

He had definitely not been expecting that...

The large doors opened, the brightness coming from inside shed light upon the once dim figure as another person stepped out. It was an old lady; her white uniform gave right away the fact that she was the maid of the house. Jaden had been somehow waiting for a tall, dead-looking butler to come out in her place...

When her eyes landed on him, her expression went from worry to shock rather swiftly. The surprise was short-lived, because she suddenly threw her arms around him and enveloped him in a warm embrace, which was kindly accepted, yet not reciprocated. Breaking away, she perched a towel on his shoulders and compassionately lead him inside, their forms disappeared into the gleaming hallway before the doors closed behind them.

Perhaps it was time for him to do the same...

Extremely satisfied with the turn of events, he headed home. It had been enough excitement for a day.

Or a week...

Still, no matter how much he tried to coax his mind to shut off and fall into the peaceful and safe hands of slumber, his body didn't seem to listen to his commands. He wanted nothing more than his mind to stop working and yet, he couldn't help but to think about the mysterious teenager all night, not even the soothing sounds of breaches dancing smoothly with the wind were able to lull him to sleep...

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Dragging his feet all the way upstairs and with those hands seizing his shoulders in a firm grip, Chazz could only grunt when the bathroom door appeared in front of him. He wanted to sleep, but Beatrix seemed to have other plans. "Here..." She yanked the towel from its resting place on his right shoulder and handed it out for him to grasp. "Take a bath, darling..." And with that, she thrust her hand into the door and pushed him in when it was open, only to close it again after that...

Always so reluctantly, he pried his eyes off the floor to find that everything was already settled for him...The rosy marble tub was filled with inviting, steamy water, pale green bubbles drifted idly on its surface, as if they were calling for him to join them. The soft scent of green tea lingered temptingly on the air, the heaviness of it making him dizzy and unfocussed. She really did know him well enough to know it was his favorite fragrance.

Maybe a little of that nice, hot water would do some good to his sore muscles...

He bent down, absentmindedly took his boots off and tossed them aside none too carefully. Shrugging off his coat, instead of throwing it away just like he did to his shoes, he folded it attentively and placed it next to the marble hand basin. The rest of his clothes came off very much like his shoes had and were now lying forgotten on the floor.

Every inch of his drained body screamed in ache as he slipped in to the water, the throbbing feeling disappeared as soon as the warm wetness started to caress his sensitive skin.

And God, did it felt great...

But even in his state of easiness, he couldn't prevent the sorrow and regret from assaulting his tranquility. The events of that day creep into his head, causing his heart to sink and his face to harden. He could hardly believe everything that had taken place just hours ago.

He could hardly believe he would never see his parents again...

But for some strange reason, he wasn't as heartbroken as he thought he would be...He had talked to them before they parted, and he was proud to say it hadn't been an argument. They had opened up to him and told him how much they loved and trusted him, even more than they trusted his older brothers.

'_Your parents' vehicle was crushed against a crash barrier by a silver Mustang GT, according to the witnesses. Unfortunately, both passed away before any medic assistance could be given...'_

And then, after hours of having heard it, the information finally sunk into his head...

They were killed...

A cracking sound reached his ears, but he ignored it. His jaw had snapped quite violently and his teeth were almost following that example. His stunning silver eyes blazed with hatred and anger, his entire being shaking with so much wrath that he could vow the water's temperature increased.

He just felt so helpless!

There were immeasurable emotions stabbing at his heart and then...

...nothing...

Not even stopping to take a deep breath, he submerged his whole body and only stared at the ceiling through the faint screen of jade colored bubbles.

'_This is not over...it's not over..._'

When he was at last lying awake on his bed, those hateful thoughts still irked him...

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_Everything seemed so bright and pure no matter where he looked; the never-ending gardens that spread around him looked as if__ they trying to show him the right way. He followed the florid path, unperturbed albeit he had no idea where he was or where he was going..._

_After what felt like hours, he came across a lovely white country house, multicolored flowers framed it and created a beautiful contrast. For some reason unknown for him, he didn't head for the door but leaped over a small wooden fence and paced towards the backyard. _

_Then, as he was walking around, he stopped dead in his tracks and froze. There, sitting on a bench not too far away from where he stood, was his mother. She was dressed completely in white, elegantly harmonizing with the bench and the ceramic cup she was holding in her hands. He felt like a mismatching dot, surrounded only by vivid colors, and he was still wearing his old black trench coat. _

_He was barely able to keep his calm when his mother's grey eyes lifted from the ground and focused on him. They stayed like that, never breaking the eye contact until she smiled warmly and patted the empty space next to her, beckoning for him to sit down. Trying his hardest to keep his emotions at bay, he did as he was signaled, but instead stopped when he was standing in front of her; a suspicious look beautified his face. _

"_You're...you're..." He almost finished his question, but another voice joined their conversation. _

"_Oh, Chazz! Where have you been? Come on, let's have breakfast together" He whipped around and came face to face with his father, who was also dressed in white. It kind of scared him, seeing as his father had always hated that color, just like him. _

"_But I..."_

"_No 'buts'. Here, have a sit..." Large hands clutched his shoulders and lead him to a chair, then a table was dragged and settled in front of him, the sound of clothes shuffling let him know his parents had sat down as well. Before he could ask, a tall pile of hotcakes was facing him on the table; silver cutlery was pushed into his hands. _

"_So Chazz, how's your food? Your mom made them and she even added some chocolate chips!" He was right. Dark, brown spots stuck out from beneath the puffy surface, the sweet smell they exuded kissed his nose and tempted him to devour them. He attempted to block out the enticing feeling._

_And lost..._

_He started to engulf them one by one, stopping just to chew twice and shallow them up, enjoying the sensation of relief and contentment as he did so. _

"_I'll take that as a 'great'..."_

_The conversation began from there, his parents asking him if he was satisfied with their new house, about how he was doing in school, about girls he liked..._

_It was like the meal they never shared..._

_Peaceful and utterly perfect._

_Just like nothing he had ever experienced before..._

* * *

"Yo! It's time to rise n' shine, baby! This is Eddy-T, sayin' Hi to another beautiful day here from everyone's favorite station. It's 8:30 am, there's a sunny morning outside on the first day of school, so if yar still on bed, ya better get up and hurry if ya don't want to get the first lecture of the year! Yeah dude!..."

The alarm clock actived and the radio station started playing relaxing music, but the brunette still didn't show any signs of waking up. And the radio continued playing for about twenty more minutes until his bedroom door jammed open and fuming woman darted in.

"JADEN YUKI, GET UP **NOW! **Arg! I can't believe you're still on bed!" She shook his shoulder fairly persistently, barely disturbing the sleeping teen, who was still limp in the arms of unconsciousness. He stirred slightly and opened his eyes dazedly, his eyes on her before they closed again.

"Wh...? Whf tfm if ift?..." The response was heavily muffled by the pillow and still, his mother understood every single word of it...

"I'll put it this way...You've got less than five minutes to get to school..."

"WHAT?!..." He jumped out of bed and dashed into the bathroom, retrieved his toothbrush and began to scrub his teeth and dress himself at the same time. His mother, who was already used to it, only shook her head knowingly and walked out, keeping all the doors open, just in case...

Three minutes later, her son hurried out of the house, not without turning back and kissing his mother's cheek. "Have a good day, sweetie..." She muttered to herself, sympathetically hoping the teachers wouldn't be too rough with him.

Meanwhile, a blue haired boy was inoffensively walking through the school hallways, fairly nervous because of a certain brunette's absence. He was so concentrated on his musings over his friend's tardiness and not paying attention to his surroundings that he could only gasp when another person bumped into him, sending him back as he landed on his rear. He retrieved his glasses from the floor and looked up to apologize, hoping he hadn't bumped into some teacher, or Crowler of all people, but when his eyes met those silver orbs, his face paled a shade or two.

It was a teen he had bumped into; he was wearing nothing but black and his shiny ebony hair stood up in messy spikes. He looked down at him with cold hole-burning eyes, lifted a flawless arched eyebrow and left.

Syrus, having no blood left on his head, did the only thing he could thing of...

He let his back hit the floor and passed out...

(End Chapter 3)

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Liked it? Hated it? Should I stop writing and start looking for a waitress job? Let me know, please! R&R…It helps me update faster! 

OMG! The angst! It burns...! (rolls on the floor)

Yeeeeah I know...I'm stupid...

Speaking of stupid girls, my best cyber friend suggested me to include Bastion in this story and pair him up with someone (she totally loves him, you see…) so I decided I might as well listen to her. The only problem is that I don't really know who to pair him with...If you guys have any idea, please tell me about it!


	4. The Last Song

**'Authoress****' ****Note:**Thank you very much for your reviews guys! This chapter is for you: **Gliitch**, **Feng-Chan,** **ShleyAay123,****GintaxAlvissForever,** **Zozz,****Ranma****Higurashi,****Digi-writter1392,****Allaboutromance,**

**Summary:**(AU fic) When you suddenly find your life shattered, you learn that love can be found in the most unpredictable places. Takes place through their last year of high school, so if you're looking for a Duel monsters story, this is not for you. ChazzJaden

**Pairings:**Mostly ChazzJaden and one-sided JadenAster, but there'll be other pairings as well...

**Warning:**...asides from the creepiness, I don't think I need to put a warning...Well, at least not for this chapter (winks)

Disclaimer: I do NOT own Yu Gi Oh GX or any of its brilliant characters.

**Song**: Hear You Me – Jimmy Eat World

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Chapter 4

"**The Last Song"**

Vaguely lethargic and completely covered in icy sweat, Chazz sat up on his bed and, just like the blood rushing inside his head, his trail of thought was trying to find a place and a common conclusion to finally settle down. The room was still enveloped in the ever so ordinarily mystifying darkness, meaning it was either late in the night or just too early for him to wake up. Flashes of what his delusional mind had already designated as a bizarre nightmare dashed in front of his eyes at an inconceivable speed. How come they were so...eerily lucid and realistic...? Had it all been just a weird dream? He chuckled slightly to himself.

Of course it was. It had to...

Sighing deeply, he snorted with great mockery at his own foolishness and let his body to fall back into the dark, silky sheets, his arms laid sprawled on his sides. '_God...I __feel __like __shit. __My __back __aches, __my __head, __my __hand..._' Then, as he unconsciously averted his gaze toward the end of his four-poster bed, his brain all of a sudden became pure mush when his grey eyes came across the considerably large and still stinging crimson gash that blemished his pale hand.

It was at that moment when the immense weight of the world as he thought he knew it imminently fell upon him and crushed him like an ant...

Like he was nothing at all...

He felt hot tears cascading from his face as what felt like tiny, scorching daggers stabbing him all at once, piercing right through him like a hot blade would go through margarine, only to keenly fly back at him for some collateral damage. After the lapse of time between the swift sting and the constant tearing of his insides passed away, what was left of his haunted mind could barely afford a single thought, a question.

Why was he still there, trying to endure the never-ending battle against this putrid world he without a doubt knew he would lose in the end? Soft-spoken and kindly commanding, his eyes widened at the memory of those significant words still chiming inside his skull.

'_Love is tough, but it has beautiful surprises for all of us and, in the worst cases, it can even save your life...'_

Even if he could never be sure they weren't just an outcome of his constant hallucinations, nor did he understand their meaning, he believed in them wholeheartedly, for they were perhaps the only reason bounding him to life.

With the ever so present and unrelenting hint of a combination of anger and sadness tracing his actions, he tossed the small portion of the blankets that still rested on his sweaty and trembling form and bounced out of bed. He barely offered a sideways glance to the clock on his nightstand, which read 3 am precisely, before storming out of the room. What was the point in staying in bed if he couldn't catch a blink of sleep?

Surprisingly enough, he didn't fall down the stairs on the state of weighty sluggishness his mind didn't seem to be snapping out of just yet. A yawn heaved its way out of his throat as he reached up to scratch his head. Maybe some steamy, purely dark coffee would help him with that...

Deep inside the rather gloomy reverie he had buried himself under, he watched absent-mindedly as the porcelain cup swayed in his uncaring grasp, the faint and almost imperceptible flows of translucent steam loyally following it as it rocked back and forth. The smell it exuded graced his nose, causing him to yearn for more of the bitterness he swore was like sweetest treat of chocolate on his palate. How come no one liked to drink coffee like this? It certainly tasted a lot better than that crap they so lovingly called 'soda'.

He stuck his tongue and grimaced noticeably at the thought of having to swallow that filthy stuff.

"Fucking gross..." Mumbling idly to no one in particular; he was about to shift on his sit when the kitchen lights suddenly flickered on. It made his eyes throb so painfully that his sight became blurry, and like a vampire being stricken by powerful sunbeams, he lowered his head and used his arms to shield his face from the brightness. "Ack! Turn that dammed thing off!"

"C-Chazz...? What are you doing here? It's only five in the morning..." Slowly opening his eyes, he looked up and unceremoniously jumped back, almost falling off the chair. There, in the middle of the doorframe stood a shadowy, short figure, its face entirely coated with something green and pastry-looking. Had it not been because he recognized that to be Beatrix's voice, he would've screamed like a little girl. Pulling himself together as fast as he could, he resumed his former position in the chair, resting his elbows on the table.

"I know...I just..." Inattentively, he brought the cup closer to his lips and took a small sip. "...couldn't sleep." The small sigh that followed his comment and the shuffling sounds of slippers and drawers opening then closing was all that confirmed him she was still there.

And so, his dream day set off yet again, the thoughts and suppressed feelings inside him diverted him from reality once more, making him lose track of time. What scared him the most about it was fact that he didn't seem to mind at all.

In any case, it wasn't as if life would just pass him by. He knew he wasn't that lucky.

Seconds passed away and soon became minutes, which then turned into hours, or "dead time", as he liked to call it; his drink was long ago empty and still, he kept on cradling it on his hands like it held any source of rational answers. On one of those reflection swings, something hammered persistently on his quick mind. It was like he was trying to remember something. Something important...

"Huh? What are you doing here?" A hoarse voice shoved him out of his hiding place on his head not too gently; the severe tone it carried forcefully compelled him to lift his gaze to meet its owner's. Obviously, _Jagger_. There were a lot of replies, sarcastic and nasty ones of course, that instantly came to his mind, but the one that seemed to appear the most, underlined and bold, was a '_What __the __fuck __are __you __talking __about?_'

Tired, hungry and infinitely frustrated, the black haired teenager was about to snap quite violently and shout his thoughts, when another voice joined what he was afraid to call an _argument._

"What's going on here? Why are you yelling?" Just after the eldest one finished his question, those razor-sharp and icy stony eyes that were so much like his own landed on him, and for the first time **ever**, their seriousness almost made him look away. He wanted to return the stare so badly, but Slade was standing in front of a strained glass window, and the glow that leaked through the blue and grey shards of glass made his already strained eyes burn with prickly tears. '_Wait __a __sec...__' _

Glancing around, he was actually surprised to find light, _sunlight, _illuminating the vast living room. Just how long had he spaced out?

"It's Chazz. He hasn't gone to school, yet." His forthcoming-threat-meter was rising into immeasurable levels, whereas the one that contained his patience was running riskily low. Didn't those two dweebs know he wasn't in the mood to hear their annoying voices, let alone be scolded by the most immoral twosome ever? He noticed his alarmingly growing anxiety as he watched his older brother roll up the sleeve of his visibly expensive shirt to reveal his gold watch. Judging by the frown and the way Jagger narrowed his eyes at him, he deduced it couldn't be something good.

"You've got five minutes." He could've said something back at them like 'Fuck off' or 'Bite me' or something along those lines, however, his current lack of energy and motivation conveniently prevented him from doing so.

Oh, but he sure as hell would get them back after school. "Yeah, yeah. Asshole..." Tired and relatively sore, he swung his legs over to the side of the chair and stood up, walking toward the main hall, not even bothering to offer his brothers one last glance.

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The trip from his house to what he hoped to be only a temporal school was quiet and peaceful, features highly uncommon to associate with the Princeton Siblings; each one of them concentrating on their own sets of troubles and reflections. Meanwhile, the youngest, despite being the most pensive one out of the three, had the smallest amount of thoughts running through his head. Everything passed by in front of his quick and observant eyes, not a single detail escaped him in spite of his little focus or care of his surroundings. And then he saw something, more specifically someone down the street; the curiosity he felt forced him to twist his whole body to get a better sight of that person but it was already gone.

Suddenly he felt watched, as he indeed was. His eyes flew towards where Jagger and Slade were sitting with, and even if his brothers would never admit it, their expressions, bewildered and amusedly puzzled respectively, only served to match his own perfectly. They stayed like that for an unbearable and incredibly prolonged moment, none of them moving or saying anything until Chazz quickly sat back and gazed outside the car, trying to pretend he was alone and didn't care about it.

He failed since the awkwardness never really faded away.

It wasn't long before the pitch black car slowed down and stopped, indicating they had arrived to their destiny. He got out first and offhandedly arranged the collar of his dark, long-sleeved shirt, grumpily heading to the double gates as if he had no company at all. After almost five minutes of idiotically walking around, a throaty, wickedly low laughter escaped his lips.

"What are you laughing at, you little psycho?" That comment only served to amuse him further, causing more of that sinister sound to come out of his mouth, only this time it was accompanied by one of his trademark cynical replies.

"Oh, nothing important, really. I just don't see the point in following _me_ if we all know I have no idea where the office we seek is in the first place." Certainly, that statement earned him a hard, extremely annoyed shove on the shoulder and a pair of glaring and furious eyes boring holes on his back, but it was completely worth it.

He was planning on fooling them a little more, until a door with a golden tag that read 'Principal's Office' appeared in front of him.

"You wait here."

Just great...

* * *

"Excuse me, comin' through! C'mon, move it!"

Never had the road to school looked so long and crammed for him. People frowned disapprovingly and stared after him, some used to his delayed habits, some others just peeved by his noisy antics. Roughly and while running, he slid his fingers in between his soft locks of hair, beads of hot sweat dripped from the tips of his auburn tresses. The sky was so clear and blue, declaring the beginning of another warm day, the sun glaring down at him as he sped through the crowd as fast as he could.

He was trying to decide whether that was a good thing or not, when the sound of a car rushing from his right made him flinch, startled. Looking up, his brown eyes barely caught glimpse of a coal colored vehicle dashing by his side, large clouds of dust and papers that had been laying forgotten rose from the floor and darkened his vision only slightly, yet enough to chase part of his optimism away. Didn't they know there were some people who actually walked instead of traveling around in luxurious and comfortable limos?

With no more power or drive left on his already tired body, he settled for just walking, or _feet-dragging_. Unfortunately, he had run out of energy six blocks away from the god dammed building, thus it took him more than ten minutes to arrive. He was surprised to find the hallways so deserted, an air of isolation and stillness predominated over the normally chaotic location. He picked his pace up and, in order to prove his suspicions, peeked into the nearest classroom window.

Empty.

On the state of mind he was currently stuck in, only one question materialized into his mind. _Where __the __hell __is __everyone?_

Faint and blurred, loud voices distorted and weakened by the distance whispered seemingly unintelligible words on the background, and they seemed to come from the auditorium. It wasn't really necessary to go all the way over there to know the whole school was gathered on an assembly. As defeated as it sounded, he sighed.

He might as well get it over with.

Shifting his hold on his red rucksack, he kept on advancing toward the source of the noises when he spotted a hint of black out of the corner of his eye and by the time he turned around, it was gone. As expected, his naturally curious side kicked in almost instantly, and he found himself running after God knows what with such drive it was somewhat fixated. If his timing was right, he would be seeing his imaginary target as soon as he reached the nearest turn.

With some sort of odd adrenaline cursing through him, he spun to his right and looked up to find...

Nothing...

He frowned, unsure as to whether he should feel scared about the school being hunted, or stupid for imagining things. And so, with a weary smile he decided that he would spend the rest of the morning studying the inside of his eyelids to gain some of the energy sleep couldn't offer him last night and no one, not even Crowler, would stop him. Maybe he could drop by the nursery for some aspirins while he was at it...

However, the tranquility that flooded his being was short lived, mainly because when he was turning on a corner, his gaze landed on the delicate, kneeling form of the nurse. Though what she was holding protectively in her arms was what really concerned him. "Syrus!" He was by their side on a blink of an eye, his hands in mid-air as if he wanted to reach out for his friend, to help, but didn't know how.

"Relax. He's okay." Her vague reply wasn't enough to satiate his doubts and make the worry go away, but before he could ask her again, the once limp body next to them stirred then, all of a sudden, those grayish blue eyes snapped open, fear and confusion shinning profusely on their surface until recognition finally hit him.

"JADEN!" Said teen didn't have time to react, seeing as his shoulders were abruptly trapped in an iron vice-like grip, his little classmate currently squeezing the life out of him. "Oh Jay, it was horrible!"

"What the..." Genuinely confused, he tried to pry his best friend off him in order to demand an explanation, yet it seemed the terrified, shorter teen was stronger than his frail appearance let show. He was about to officially freak out when the nurse's smooth voice interrupted their odd conversation, one cold and slender hand reached out to touch the mint haired boy's forehead.

"It seems you're alright, Syrus. There's no need for you to stay in the nursery anymore, is it?"

"Well...no, but th-"

"Good. Now get to class, you two."

* * *

The soft and even tick-tack sound the clock above his head produced, the catchy tunes the secretary whistled as she browsed through some files on her desk, the harmonious chirping of birds outside...He could hear them all clearly and yet, his ears couldn't reach a single word of his brothers with the headmaster. Always inopportune and earsplitting, the bell that warned everyone about the beginning of the daily schedule rang; people went by until the hallways were finally deserted. Looking around, he eventually became aware of something he wasn't willing to admit.

He was bored...

And the chair and the sitting position he chose were now killing him.

The secretary lifted her gaze from her work and raised an eyebrow at him as he shifted on his sit, desperately seeking for some comfort. Now that he thought about it, everyone who happened to pass by stared at him like he was some kind of freakish animal. He had at first blamed it on his devilishly hot looks, but seeing as some quickened their pace or looked away, he decided to discard that possibility. He growled. What was their problem? It's not that uncommon to see someone sitting, well, half-sitting, half-lying on two little benches, with their legs drawn to their chest and a cheek resting lazily on the wall, right...?

Of course, like all the things in life, especially **his** life, his patience finally met its end, demanding him to find something to keep his boredom at bay. Hopping off the tiny chairs, he secured his hold on the strap of his dark blue knapsack and stumbled into the first bathroom he saw. Luckily enough for him, it was empty, so he strode directly over to the large, rectangular mirror and turned one of the sterile white basins on. Running a set of long fingers through his midnight spikes, he glanced up at his dead ringer and nearly gasped.

He found a pale, baggy eyed teenager with messy ebony hair and deep, unexpressive onyx eyes staring numbly back at him. However, even in his pallid and almost sick appearance, he couldn't help but to notice he was still so outstandingly attractive and desirable. Sure, his black, slightly unbuttoned shirt could have something to do with it. Wearing a weary smirk, he dipped his fingertips into the already full sink; a swift sensation of peace overcame him at the feeling of cold water against his sweaty hand. With a carefulness he rarely showed to his body, he proceeded to fix his hair, tugging at the ends of his spikes to strengthen them.

Taking one last peek at his reflection, he swung the door open and got out knowing he was by far the Sex God of that school...

"It's not like there's a lot of competence, anywa-ugh...!" A silent and extremely angry roar cursed through his head. Who the hell dared to touch him while he was musing over his snobby fantasies?! Peering down, he saw a short, blue haired boy lying on his bum on the floor, a pair of small, round glasses rested innocently a few inches from their obvious owner. Clueless as to who he had run into, he began to cautiously pat the alabaster linoleum, looking for his lost glasses in order to be able to see person towering over him, and replaced them as soon as he found them.

From his higher position, Chazz couldn't decide whether to be angry at the dork for wrinkling his clothes, or amused by the frightened look on the other's face, which was as pale as a paper sheet. He raised an eyebrow. Was he really that scary? Perhaps he should leave before the little wanker passed out. Warily and in a very imperceptible way, he paced forward and away from the younger teen without saying another word. He would be saving his energy for the whole morning, or at least until he got home, so there would be no running or talking for the rest of the day.

Not that there was anyone to talk to, in any case.

Just when he was at least six feet from the tiny geek, a hollow thud grasped his curiosity and compelled him to glance back. He had his own suspicions even before his head had rotated completely, and they had turned out to be right. The jumpy shrimp was still there...

Unconscious...

On second thought, a little running wouldn't do any harm, right?

Annoyed, with a burning hole on his stomach and one hell of a headache, he took off. Why did this kind of things always happen to him? Of all people he could have bumped into, like a teacher or a janitor, it just **had** to be a more-than-slightly impressionable fearful mouse...He was barely out of sight when he heard it. "Oh my god, Syrus...What on earth happened to you, dear?"

'_Shit..._'

Regardless of the strange situation, like all the other ones he had been through recently, he kept on walking, even if he didn't know where he was or where he was going. It was almost like a habit for him, actually. He was so unfocused in his surroundings that he almost missed the clicking sound of a heavy door closing; it sounded as if the person who had opened didn't want to be heard. Or maybe it was just his imagination...

Whatever it was, he certainly didn't want to be seen or asked why he was still there, either. Setting both feet firmly on the ground, he paced as fast and noiselessly as he could without slipping, stepped inside the first room his gaze spotted and closed the door silently behind him. A soaked and detergent reeking mop landed on top of his head when he tripped over what he could only guess to be a broom. Of course, _the __maintenance __room._

Of all the rooms he could have accidentally come across...

Why did he do that, again...? He tried to ponder the question, but it was kind of hard to concentrate with all those voices chattering in the distance. They sounded pretty authentic... Relatively enraged by now, he threw the cleaning tools off him, retrieved his bag from the floor and exited the small stowage, not even bothering to shut the door again.

Hopefully someone would crash into it while running and break some bones...

As he walked somewhere unknown with unadulterated confidence, he couldn't help but to notice the classrooms were completely vacant, the desks were still neatly arranged, not a thing out of place. And the voices...

"An assembly, perhaps?" Ever so attentive, he tried to discern what they where saying.

"...an incredibly negative behavior the last years, therefore a new control method has been approved. All the problematic slackers...I mean, students will receive some..._special_ treatment."

To say that he didn't like what those words were implying would be an understanding. Having followed the trail of sounds, his ears eventually led him to the double gated entrance of the auditorium, as the coppery sign above the open doors stated. There, standing in the middle of the stage and wearing an outfit that demanded a huge amount of self-assurance, was a tall pale man; he had his outwardly fake blond strands fastened in a thin ponytail.

He wanted so badly to convince himself he wasn't aware of the purple lipstick staining that guy's lips.

An equally tall man with long dark hair and square glasses was there as well, holding in his arms what looked from where he stood like some sort of chubby guinea pig. The fury ears and long swinging tail, however, informed him it was actually a cat. A fat, _**fat**_ one. Hell, you could even tell the cat ate far more than its owner. Oddly enough, he could somehow identify them both as teachers.

It was the auburn haired male's turn to speak. "Of course, some students are more reckless than others, so the worst cases will arrive according to their status. Also, all students will stay in the same designed classroom the whole morning, at least just for today."

He couldn't help but to chuckle at the discontent sighs and moans that followed that statement.

"Damn...I can't wait to get translated. This school looks boring as hell..." His whole attention returned to the womanly man speaking to the students in a revolted manner. _'__He __better __not __talk __to __me __like __that. __The __last __thing __I __need __is __another __asshole __yelling __me __and __bossing __me __around.__'_

Speaking of which...

He had a pair of idiots of his own waiting for him, meaning he should be heading back to where his brothers were, already. '_Wouldn__'__t __want __to __make __them __worry._'

A bitter, hollow laugh left his mouth at the thought.

Biting back a yawn, he rubbed his right temple furiously, sincerely hoping that 'smooth' massage would chase his excruciating headache away. By now, he knew he could never afford any hopes...

The mere act of trying to describe the frustration he felt when he finally made it to the Principal's office, just to notice there was no one in there would be impossible. What the hell was he supposed to do now?

"I swear to God...I'm so going to kill them and mop the floor with their stinking..." As soon as that cold, heavy hand landed on his shoulder, his tongue and lips stopped working all together. Not wasting any time, he turned around, ready to take all of his anger on whoever had made the mistake of disturbing his personal space, only to find a pair of familiar faces staring down at him. "...carcasses."

It seemed they didn't hear a thing of what he was saying.

"I've already talked to the headmaster, and you'll be studying in this pathetic excuse for a school until we can find you a better one." If the frown that masked his oldest brother's face didn't strike a generous amount of alarm into his mind, the calm and dull voice he used to toss that order surely did. It troubled him because he was feeling the urge to snarl one of his trademark sarcastic replies just to release some of the tension that lingered in the air, threatening to choke him.

Thankfully, his brother decided to carry on without delay, the passive look never leaving his strong features, but this time there was a weak sliver of melancholy on his eyes, even if tiny. "We're burying them today..." He paused, whether it was to wait for his reaction or something else, he would never be entirely certain. "I'll send someone to pick you up and-"

"I can go by myself..."

Okay, now he was scared...

It was a very well-known fact that Slade **hated** to be interrupted, especially in such a simple way, and yet the only vital sign he emitted was a long, calmed sigh._ '__Slade __being __patient __with __me?__What__'__s __next?__Jagger __dyeing __his __hair __magenta?__' _

"Stay here and wait for them to assign you a classroom._Behave.__" _With those dry words and a short flick of his wrist he was finally dismissed. Annoyed, he spun around on his feet and was about to leave when the same husky voice called him back. "Wait..." Overwhelmed by the frustration his siblings represented, he just stood there, wishing his brother would just get to the dammed point; he couldn't help but to tense when he sensed him getting closer. '_Here __it __comes...__' _ He readied himself for an attack that never came.

The sniffing sound he heard so near him next totally threw him off guard.

"And make sure to bath more often from now on. You stink like cheap cleaner." Jagger's amused laughter joined Slade's as he decided to make a comment on his own.

"More like a wet dog." After that, they just laughed harder, and kept on doing so while they walked towards the exit. He, on the other side, enthusiastically hoped they would just choke while laughing when no one but him was around. But that was just too much to ask for and he knew it.

'_Must...not...slaughter._'

* * *

He didn't bother to swallow the yawn that adamantly forced its way into his throat because he already knew it would be impossible. "A ghost, you say? Heh, I thought you said no more ghost movies for the rest of the week."

"Week? Don't you mean life?"

"Of course not! The horror movie special is next week! You know, creepy haunted houses and zombies." Lifting both hands in the air, he mimicked the actions of a living corpse, sticking out his tongue and rolling his brown eyes back while moaning quite painfully. He stopped when a soft 'eeek' came out of Syrus' mouth. "Can't believe you forgotten, Sy! By the way, mom's not gonna be home for a few days, so that leaves the entire house for us and us alone!"

"Yeah, well I doubt my mother would've let us be near her house, anyway..." Once his edgy partner sat down behind him, he pulled the first book his hand reached from inside his bag and lifted it in front of himself as casually as he could, firmly settling it so it wouldn't fall over. With his arms already resting on the narrow, wooden desk, his brunette head was ready to plummet when a light tap to his shoulder startled him slightly, thwarting his nap attempt.

"Uh...I was wondering..." Even though the nervous tone his friend used wasn't all that foreign for him, it still bored holes of concern into his mind. "Were you okay last night? I mean, you were acting pretty weird." His back tensed a bit, yet his lips stretched out in a weak yet bright smile, the apologetic nature it gave off lessened considerably the amount of tension gathered on his mind.

"Really? Hehe, sorry if I worried you, Sy. I guess I was just tired." The swiftness and composure, along with the cleverness of his reply scared him insanely.

Since when had he become such a good liar?

Syrus' toothy grin assured him of the eminent success of his lie. "Yeah, I know what you mean..." Nodding understandingly, the blue haired teen was about to sit back when something else was brought to his attention. "But...how is it even possible for someone to sleep after eating that much sugar? Especially someone like you." That questioning frown told him he was in trouble.

He needed something else to back up his lie, like another lie, but all he could think about was the funny ways irony worked. It was just unbelievably ridiculous how everyone, even the most careless people always remembers what you don't want them to bring up, and finds out the least thing you'd want them to know. There was no weaseling out of that one anymore; he had no other option now, he had to tell him.

Luckily, their assigned teacher picked that exact moment to enter the classroom and draw everyone's attention, including that of a rather reluctant Syrus.

'_Phew...saved by the bell...'_

That said, instead of pondering a good answer as to why he supposedly was able to sleep after eating up half a pound of Mrs. Truesdale homemade chocolates, he chose to surrender to a forced slumber, optimistically hoping the smart reply he was searching for would come to him on his dreams, like it never did.

* * *

Chazz looked up from Stephen King's smooth and heart-pounding writing and huffed indignantly. The mere thought of not having his book with him at the moment caused a brief sense of anxiety to overcome him.

After all, two hours of waiting was more than enough to drive anyone crazy, especially if your last name happens to be Princeton.

Shifting on his sit for the God-knows-what time, with a tenderness so rare in him, he took the right top corner of the page he was reading, folded it slightly and closed the hard-covered book. It gave off a thud that sounded very much like a sigh just when his mind registered an additional and very much unwanted presence nearby. A man, about 24 years old, with dark brown locks and mild green eyes was standing in front of him, casting a hefty shadow all over him as he simply remained on his bench, throwing expectative glances at this stranger.

"You're Chazz Princeton, right?"

"Maybe..." He stuffed his book inside his bag and spread out his arms to rest them on the back of the benches besides him. "Are you going to tell me where my dammed classroom is yet, or do I have to wait here for another two hours? Perhaps I can come by tomorrow if you'd like." Lifting one of his legs, he let his right ankle fall on his left knee, adopting that petulant, cynical appearance he used to give his former tutor every time he wanted to be annoying.

And judging by the irritated frown the other unwillingly offered him, he hadn't lost his touch.

"Whatever. Just follow me, kid."

His ears had to be deceiving him...

'_Oh, __no...He __didn__'__t!__'_ An all-too-familiar voice from within his mind indignantly screamed out just as the word _kid_ rolled off the older man's tongue, and something like a thin, dried out twig snapped inside Chazz' head. Something was urging him, demanding him to do something and so, he did the only thing that he thought could upset the other.

He stood up slowly.

The dark haired teenager eyed the slightly stunned expression hidden behind that serious facade with a sneer that shone with something in between curiosity and amusement. He wasn't surprised. Of course the bastard hadn't thought he was that tall! Let alone taller than him by almost four good inches. His smirk widened visibly, and so did his already overblown ego. His smartest side when it came to improvise, which unfortunately only seemed willing to provide assistance when he was feeling rather blood-thirsty, kicked in immediately. Quickly, he grabbed his rucksack and tossed it over his shoulder.

In an exaggeratedly fake, polite way and with the same mocking smile, he extended his arm to show he'd follow obediently. The man stared plainly at him for a brief moment and walked past him, mutely leading the way.

Even if he knew absolutely nothing about this kid with a bitchy attitude, like just where the hell he had come from, he had the strange, unshakable feeling he was planning something. Not too long ago he had been a teenager, after all.

Chazz, meanwhile carefully pondered his next move. _'__Kid, __uh?__I__'__ll __show __you __how __much __of __a __kid __I __can __be...__'_

Okay, maybe he wasn't so proud to admit his first plan was punching the emerald eyed man senselessly with a fire extinguisher, but as he scanned the hallway for anything that resembled one, like a divine message sent straight from heaven, his steely gaze landed on the small bright yellow signal with chubby black letters stamped on it that read:

_**Caution!**_

_**Wet floor**_

A terribly evil and wicked grin, one that could easily make a child scream his lungs out, stretched across his lips slowly as they drew closer to his makeshift trap; thankfully, there was no one around to witness it.

"Oh, look! They just cleaned the floors." As anticipated, his harmless remark was countered with a blank, taken aback stare from the current target of all of his negativity. "It must be pretty-" With the same insane smile, he slammed his full weight into the other's unsuspecting back, driving him slithering across the slick surface, and into the cold barrier of lockers. "...slippery..." Once the wind was knocked out of him in a strangled wheeze, he slipped slowly to the floor, looking very much like a crushed fly. "Holy crap, I'm so sorry...here, let me give you a hand, man."

He stepped closer to the hunched form, truly wanting to at least help him get up, but before he could lay a hand on his shoulder, he found himself pinned against the wall. His head hit the wooden bulletin board with such force he could almost swear he was seeing stars. A pair of what felt like furious, large hands tightened around his throat. By the muffled thump he heard at his feet, he realized he had dropped his bag in an effort to keep himself from being strangled to death.

Not dazed enough to abandon his sense of humor, he pulled himself out of his temporary stun and groggily smirked at his attacker, eliciting a vicious growl from clenched teeth. "You clumsy fuck...!"

His taunting, sinister leer only broadened, and he managed to rasp a few words out. "Right back at you, bitch." Mustering all his strength, he kneed the man in the stomach, effectively freeing himself from the rough hold, and brought a hand up to nurse his neck. The brunet staggered back slightly and the two of them stared hard at each other, both studying their respective enemy.

Several seconds passed before the older one spoke up, a sideway grin parting his lips. "I like your spunk, kid..." A large, tanned hand was all of a sudden stretched out for him, implying nothing but a harmless handshake. "Name's John..." Much to his surprise, he found himself returning the greeting despite all his efforts to keep on being nasty. It was his specialty, after all.

"Chazz Princeton, but you already know that." He eyed the man up and down distastefully. "Aren't you a little too old to be in high school, _Johnny_?" He made sure to put a poisonous emphasis on the name.

"Well Chazz..." The pattern of speech he applied to pronounce those words was a clear mockery of his own. "I believe that's none of your concern. Now, if you would please follow me, I'll be more than pleased to show you where your classroom is." In a second his hand was released from the warm grip, and his new 'friend' started pacing away. He had no problem with just playing along, so he seized his stuff and followed without complaint.

"Oh, thank you. It's seems you do use your head, after all." The man he now acknowledged as John turned to him with a lit up expression, as if pleased with what gave the impression of being a complement. Logically, he could never leave it like that. Leaning forward, he eyed the other with a wary look and intensified his unkindness. "Or do you?" Just like that, the shortly lived delight faded from those strong features, as the other merely turned away from him again.

While Chazz knew there was no rational explanation for the smile that sneakily slipped into his face, he allowed it to live for a few moments.

Even if not actually purposely, falling back on hostility had always been his preferred way of dealing with people, just to keep himself from giving a damn about them, hence it was only understandable that it became a habit. A self-defense mechanism. But for some incomprehensible reason for him, it wasn't having any effect on this man. It was just like...

'_He is just as immune as the guy who saved you back at the park.'_

'_Saved __me?__SAVED __ME?!__What __the __fuck __is__wrong __with __you? __He __fucking __ruined __**everything**__! I knew exactly what I was doing, I never asked him to help me.'_

'_...Riiiight. You know what? You finally lost it.'_

'_What?'_

'_Yep, but as much as I'd want to discuss your sanity with you, or lack of thereof actually, I'd rather spoon my none-existent intestines out than hear any more of your pathetic, suicidal speeches. So, if you'll excuse me...'_

'_You think I'm insane?'_

'_Mm-hmm...Did you know you said that out loud?'_

"Uh?" He snapped his head up at once and glanced at John, who now walked alongside him, with increasing alarm, silently praying to God he hadn't been loud enough to be heard. As usual, his prayers were ignored. "Hmm, I wouldn't exactly say _insane_. A bit wacky and really annoying, but not completely insane." The man gave a vague dismissive wave with his hand to emphasize his sincere affirmation.

"I wasn't even...!" Even of it was against his pride, he opted for sulking, not finishing the statement. "Hmph…what do YOU know."

Perhaps he really had lost it.

Although that sounded like the only explanation, he decided to shrug those thoughts off. "Well, I do know something. You're gonna need this." This definitely caught the coal haired one's attention, as he turned his head sharply to stare at the older man; he found a small yellow note was being held out for him to grasp. Having retrieving it, he was about to examine it a bit closer when he heard the other's voice. "We're here. Have a nice day, kid."

Then, in an extremely sudden and random way he was shoved into one of the classrooms they happened to be passing by at the moment; he could see John out of the corner of his eye, the palm of his hand still facing him and his emerald gaze was focused forward, not even looking at him. He could also see, however, that a slightly pleased expression was displayed all over his serious features.

In what seemed like a blink of an eye, he found himself distressingly withering under the intent gawk of a class full of complete strangers. That little annoying voice apparently could be affected by his anguish as well because it called out for him from the back of his head quite desperately. _'__Hellooo? __Snap__ out __of __it, __idiot!__'_

Fortunately, those teasing words had the right effect on him, the shock and awkwardness fogging his mind dissipated and his trademark nonchalant/haughty instance returned. He looked toward the standard, wooden desk and spotted the current teacher, who was in turn staring back at him with the very same expression he had when John first stood in front of him.

Expectant and annoyed...

And so he stepped up to her and handed her the piece of paper, feeling a twinge of apprehension clasp his insides as he realized he hadn't even taken a look at it himself. The middle aged blonde read it as fast as lighting; she eyed him from head to foot, which only probed harder on his curiosity about what was written there, and turned to her dead silent class with a slim smile.

"Alright everyone, Mr. Princeton here will be joining us for a brief period of time. He just got transferred from a very prestigious private school..," She raised one eyebrow at him and finished with a deadpanned, _wow_. At this point, he wasn't able to tell whether she was mocking him or not. She had a great poker face, the bitch. "I'm Alice, your English teacher." Chazz nodded slightly in a very polite way that coaxed a peculiar smile out of her. "Is there anything you want to say to your classmates before we start, Chazz?"

The dark haired teenager passed his dark gaze over those who she already associated him with as 'classmates' and unnoticeably hesitated at her question. He could've sworn he heard a 'yummy' from one of the girls in the back, which caused the rest of them to giggle and stare at him like hungry harpies.

Geeze, hadn't they seen a guy before? It certainly didn't help improve the impression he had of that school. Besides, he had always found women to be confusing, enigmatically terrifying species, and was not ashamed to admit they scared the living shit out of him just as much as they charmed him.

He sure as hell wasn't the only guy who felt that way.

The uninterested tone he used failed to match her suspiciously kind question. "No, I don't." His chest felt funny, overwhelmed. Usually he was pretty skilled at speaking in public, charming and convincing; he just didn't feel like it at the moment.

"Okay. Well you can go to your sit now." Her honey eyes scanned the room in search for a vacant place, and he followed her example. From were he stood towering over everybody, he could see there were only two empty seats, one on the most perfectly isolated corner next to the back door, and the other, also in the back, was in between a skinny, geeky-looking dude and a sleeping brunette. "In front of Mr. Yuki will be fine." He looked at her uncertain, and she realized right away that he didn't even know her last name, let alone who 'Mr. Yuki' was. "You know, that lifeless bump over there."

She pointed in the direction of the slumbering guy he saw when he was looking around and the whole class laughed at her openly scornful remark. Chazz, however, didn't. Something in him, his missing common sense maybe, found that little comment awfully distasteful and unprofessional, yet he remained silent and did as he was told.

Just when he thought the worst was over, his narrow, gray eyes accidentally fell on someone, and not just anyone, he thought with some disdain. It was actually the sloppy shrimp he bumped into a few hours ago. If the childish features didn't give him away, then his glasses and unusual hair color definitely did. Oh, and the same frightened face.

Priceless...

Before he could help himself, a slight smirk, one that could for sure be mistaken as extremely malicious, shone straight from his lips right at the short boy. Maybe if he was lucky enough, he would take it as a threat and be more careful around the hallway.

Recklessly and without taking his eyes off the other, he dropped his shoulder bag into his chair and sat down rather calmly. Not even caring if the teacher would by chance look at him, he explored the inside of his knapsack and fished out exactly what he needed. His jet black iPod viciously reflected the morning light like glittering mirage, and his equally dark earphones mingled well with his shirt.

The rest of the class went by almost imperceptibly as soon as his mind wandered off with Metallica's repertory.

A horrible feeling of impatience took a hold of him five miserable minutes before the bell rang; it didn't help slowing his increasing annoyance down, but it did grant his tired body a new source of energy. Though counting the seconds this boring class still had left wasn't a very bright idea, for they seemed to last forever, he kept on doing so anyway.

He decided, for all the ages he'd spent waiting for it to end, that time definitely had to be freaking cheating on him.

'_...four...three...two...one..._'

**RING!**

Once again, he heard that irritating, buzzing sound, and Chazz certainly couldn't have been happier. The way he shoved his stuff into his bag, which could only be described as angry, was beyond explanation for him; he felt rather calm, actually. The classroom was almost completely empty, with a very few exceptions. So far everything was going quite well, he decided.

—

"Jay? C'mon, wake up!" The soft, whispering voice nearby that seemed to be calling for him was accompanied by an equally weak shake on his arm. Maybe he was still dreaming, only this time it wasn't about fries and strawberry milkshakes.

Tossing his bag over his shoulder, the black haired teenager was about to make his way out when a firm grip on his bag yanked him back into his seat. He landed on his butt with a painful thud and cursed loudly. There was no need for him to turn around to know his stupid bag's strap somehow got stuck in the chair, but he did so anyway in order to free himself.

Jaden's head snapped up at the sound of something slamming rather violently against his seat.

It was when he twisted his neck around sharply and rested his hands on the back of the chair that he came nose to nose with a frighteningly familiar face. One Chazz wished he would never have to see again.

The brunet, for the first time in a very long time, found himself at a loss of words and simply stayed exactly where he was, studying the striking face before him. The dazzling pearls that bejeweled that smile were half-hidden behind parted lips, and those eyes...they pierced through him like silver daggers. Beautifully shaped and deadly, they were lacking their usual hermetic look, since he could see the distress and the immeasurable shock floating on their surface like a dangerous, coming storm.

Meanwhile, Chazz was facing one of the most confusing moments of his short existence, and yet his head stubbornly refused to snap out of the annoying, blank state it was in. There was something about him...something so foreign and so very familiar at the same time. Like it wasn't just the second time he saw him...

With a rough unconscious tug he jerked his bag free from wherever it might have gotten stuck. When he could finally tear his eyes from those round, cinnamon eyes, he turned his tense back on him and silently exited the room.

A few minutes passed by before Syrus dared opening his mouth, and what he said then wasn't too helpful at all, in any case. "I-It was him! I thought I had gone crazy, but he's real! And…and he's not a ghost." That last part was said in such a disappointed manner, it was hard for him not to laugh.

The seconds kept slipping in between his unaware fingertips, numb as frostbite, and it took a while for his brain to start functioning properly again.

It was accurate to say he felt as if someone had beaten the wind out of him, only this time there was absolutely no physical pain, just this dreadful, enigmatic feeling of being in the correct path on the right time. Out of the blue, an unknown force tugged at the corner of his lips, and he afforded a smile. He remembered feeling the same way the first time their eyes locked, mere hours ago.

In an eerie, sudden reverie, he realized he was bound to have that sensation for as long as fate kept stubbornly bringing them together as both strangers to one another. That reflection stabbed at him with curiosity and apprehension for two understandable reasons: one, he couldn't bring himself to comprehend what made him feel this way and why, and two, he couldn't decide whether he liked having that that feeling or not.

Nevertheless, he was a feeler by nature, not a thinker and ponderings that deep were out of the question. He would allow himself to be carried around by this mysterious force a bit longer, just in case it led him somewhere better than where he was.

* * *

Chazz didn't think he had it in him, but he was able to keep his cool by fighting back the urge to shout obscenities at the top of his lungs. Well, at least until there was no one around who might hear him and frown. The last thing he needed right now was someone staring at him or even worse, asking if everything was alright.

"Goddammit! Just my fucking luck!" He seriously considered yanking his hair out in frustration as he leaned his hand and the rest of his weight against the first tree his eyes could spot. Surprisingly enough, the irritation was swiftly abandoning him as the strength anxiety had lent his worn-out body dissolved. His hand was still shaking even as he drew it to his heaving chest. "Damn..."

The young Princeton let his head hang low in the distance there was between his chest and the thick, rough bark underneath his palm, watching his other hand, limp by his side. He noticed with a grimace that the unattended wound was still there, angrily sticking out from the rest of the skin, a few new purple bruises surrounding it. Strangely, an unshakable image of it once it scarred was brought into his mind. He couldn't help but to imagine it'd look like an old road drawn by natural means in the midst of a white-sanded desert.

That last thought somehow marked the end of his rushed outburst. Pushing his body away from his supporting place, he swung around and let himself plummet into the ground; the sturdy tree behind him broke his fall and kept him up in a sitting position.

A fresh breeze strong enough to stir his bangs and shirt swept away the warm air around him, and a great comforting feeling gauged up inside him, compelling him to close his eyes. So much had happened since the day started that he felt as if last night had been a week or two ago.

His eyes snapped open, grey orbs growing wide with surprise. As incredible as it was for him, he realized his mind was just starting to absorb what last night events really meant. A dreadful sinking feeling was plunged without any mercy into his chest; so intense and painful he couldn't help but to believe it left a huge, gaping hole on his very soul. It hurt him more than he wanted to admit because, yet again, he only had his own shadow to share it with.

In spite of his bitterness, a slight, honest smile peered shyly on his lips. If he was, indeed, meant to stroll aimlessly through life alone, then he would at least do it with a smile.

Empowered by the resolution of a brighter outlook, he seized his stuff and jumped up to his feet. The satisfying feeling of having discovered a mature, sober approach to his problems was so strong and driving. It was like a second chance had been given to him.

He felt like he could do anything...until he remembered who he was, that is, then huffed sarcastically. "Wow...that was so pathetic." Since when did he believe that kind of jolly, pop shit?

Even though he was back to his old point of view, his smile never flattered.

Dusting off his buttocks and shirt, he finally began to walk away from his new resting spot, picking up his pace when his mind reminded what Slade had told him earlier that day. Attending the burial ceremony was not a possibility at consideration for his future plans.

He would go to the funeral, but he needed to pick up some things from his house first.

* * *

Rather bothered by now, he decided to release part of his frustration in the form of a warning sigh instead of yelling at his friend. "For the last time, Sy, it was an accident! I'm sure he doesn't even remember you."

"Sure, you don't believe me now, but that's because you didn't see the look he gave me. He's up to no good. No good, I tell you!" Okay, enough was enough, Jaden decided before he slapped the frantic teen, gripping him by the shoulders to keep him in place.

"Syrus! You're not listening to me." The brunet shook him firmly, using a much softer and calm tone when he spoke next. "No one's gonna hurt you because I won't allow it. I promise, okay?" He shifted his hold on the other so that his hands would only be touching him instead of holding him, and laughed as he added as an afterthought, "Besides, we got Chumley on our side, remember?"

The shorter one merely shot him a hopeless look, knowing it was far from a good idea. Just the thought of his friends getting hurt because of his petty fears made him feel even weaker. No. He'd rather be beaten into a bloody pulp a thousand times than let that ever happen.

"No way! If he wants me, then let him come and get me." He said raising his clenched fists in front of him, as if in some sort of fighting stance and Jaden just stared at him with a blank expression, seriously wondering where that attitude was coming from.

"If I could honestly tell you that's a better idea, I would." Glad to have seen the end of Truesdale's little meltdown, he walked past the other and leaped into the bed. Maybe he wasn't being helpful at all, but in this case it was preferable for him to choose truth over blind support.

"Hey!" A flying pillow meant to cause him as much pain as a sneeze landed on his face - not anywhere near uncalled-for, of course. With a tired moan, he pushed it off him and stretched out like a cat, also yawing like one. "Thanks for the support, Jay..." Said teen chuckled light-heartedly and replied only when the laugh had died down. He could distantly hear as his friend let himself fall into the computer chair.

"That's what friends are for, Sy."

They sat there for a while, in a comfortable silence, both thinking about the same person but in completely different ways. Whilst Syrus pondered the worst case scenarios of his imaginary confrontation with the dark haired teen, Jaden couldn't keep the image of that surprised, troubled face off his mind. After all the casual, fated encounters with him, he still didn't know his name. He must've been asleep when he introduced himself.

"Hold on...Syrus, do you know his name?" _'__Please __say __yes, P__lease __say __yes...__' _To say he barely resisted the urge to lunge at him in his curiosity would be understandable.

"You mean...?" Not even he could comprehend why he nodded so desperately. "Oh...I think it was Chase Princeton or something. Wait, no...it was Chazz Princeton." One last pensive gaze at the sky and he turned back to him, completely sure of his words. "Yeah, that was it."

"Princeton, you say?" They both gasped like little girls at the sudden sound of Mrs. Truesdale voice coming from the doorframe, holding a basket of clean clothes on her arms. She always had sharp ears. "Is he related to Slade Princeton in some way?" At their confused frowns, she offered some more hints. "You never heard of him? Weird...I mean, the man's practically sweeping the entire political world off their feet. Very rich and successful family..." Syrus was still uncaring, unlike Jaden, who rolled onto his stomach to fully address the woman.

"Could you describe him for me?"

"Oh, well he's really tall, and quite handsome, actually..." Her vague description was more than enough for him, and he jumped up a little bit more from the bed, his hands now keeping him up.

"Does he have black hair and narrow, mischievous eyes?" Perhaps it sounded strange, but he couldn't find any other word to accurately describe that stare.

"Yes, he does. So you have seen him on the news, haven't you?" By the way she was asking that, he could see she was stunned to think he did watch other stuff in T.V than cartoons and music videos.

"No no, but I think his brother is in our class."

"You don't say! The poor thing..." This confused him greatly. Poor thing? Was their school THAT bad? He was about to ask her again when she carried on. "His parents just died last night in a car accident. How sad...I believe they'll be burying them late this afterno-oh! I left the stove on! Excuse me, boys..." And with that, she ran off, leaving whatever was left of his wits to process those weighty words.

It took him a lot less time that what he would've guessed.

Jaden jumped off the bed with poorly-concealed hurry and glanced back at his friend just to say in one breath, "Hey, there's something I need to take care of. See you tomorrow, pal!", only to dash out without so much as another word.

"Okay..." He answered even if the brunet was long gone, or so he thought, considering how fast he always had been, and frowned with disapproval. There was something he wasn't telling him, he just knew it. And here he thought they had no secrets.

* * *

For the twentieth time that day, he re-adjusted his hold on the strap of the long, black case on his back and sighed. Why the hell did he refuse the limo, again? As if walking around with a huge, uncomfortable to carry suitcase wasn't hard enough, he had to do it all the while wearing a penguin suit. Luckily for him, the weather was on his side for once, partially shielding the sun behind dark, threatening clouds.

Rolling the sleeve of his white, dress shirt back a little to look at his watch, he silently began to wonder if what he was doing was possibly right.

If his calculations were correct, he'd be arriving right after the whole ceremonial thing had ended and everyone had already left, which was exactly what he wanted. Sure, it seemed mean and ungrateful of him, but he'd rather die than be trapped in a crowd full of hypocrites asking him how he was feeling, as if it wasn't fucking obvious enough, and telling him about how they were such good people, like they actually knew them. It went without saying he'd surely lose it.

And for some strange reason, he knew only his parents would be able to understand that.

Soon enough, he could see the memorial park tall, white gates. Narrow, stoned roads were carved into the bright green grass that spread all the way from the gates as far as the small hills allowed him to see, with countless gravestones embedded all over. Some were moldy and unkempt, with wild plants and weed surrounding it like a natural ornamentation; others, the ones that belonged to all those who either left loving and caring people behind, or just had recent deaths, had bouquets of still fresh flowers and melted candles.

It wasn't really that odd for him to feel the peacefulness and nostalgia hanging in the air. A few steps later, he came across a grieving woman kneeling in front of a small, pale tombstone. Out of pure curiosity, he glanced past the sobbing figure at the numbers chiseled on the beautiful granite, and a deep, disheartening sensation overcame him. 1991-2008.

Whoever this sorrowful, blonde lady was crying over had only 17 when they died. The sympathy soon turned into immense guilt.

Someone his age died probably not too long ago, all their plans and dreams shattered by an unpredictable twist of fate, and here he was, pretty much alive after trying to kill himself not many hours ago. How could someone who possibly had all the will to live have died before him, the one human being with the biggest disregard for life ever? Just how fucked up was that?

The sound of a car violently speeding off hauled him off his musings. His head snapped up just in time to see his brother's black limo disappearing behind one of the hills. "I swear, those two are always in a hurry..." Well, at least they made things much easier for him, even if it was a once-in-a-lifetime occurrence.

It excited him extremely, since he had been planning on asking one of the keepers for help on that. Tightening his hold on the leather strap one last time, he ran towards where the car had been a moment ago as fast as his tired legs could carry him. A man with muddy, beige clothes and a dirty old shovel approached the two unfilled rectangular holes, intent on finishing yet another job, when a hand on his broad shoulder stopped him. The man turned to stare at him with mild bother and expectation on his features.

"Don't...please." He asked softly, his hand slipping back to his side. "Just...not yet." Dark auburn eyes inspected him calmly. The man finally stabbed the shovel into the humid earth and walked off, sitting on a long-legged chair not too far away.

Much to the keeper's surprise, Chazz followed him instead of staying where he was, and grabbed a chair just like the one he was sitting on, not before politely asking, "Can I?"

The man chuckled and raised one hand in dismissive invitation. "Suit yourself, kid." Fortunately for him, the black haired teen was able to resist the urge to break the wooden chair right on his smug, smiling face. Was '**Call ****me ****kid,**** it ****irks ****me'** written on his forehead or something?

He dragged the chair and placed it in front of his parents' final resting place, sitting down on it after dusting it off a little. Laying the hard leather suitcase on his lap, he unlocked it and carefully pulled out his gorgeous, black acoustic out with one hand, and set the case to his side with the other. In seconds, both his guitar and his vocals were perfectly tuned and ready to play. He scratched the strings a few times, just for some self-reassurance, and then started playing the simple intro. In a smooth, steady voice he began to sing.

**There's no one in town I know,  
you gave us some place to go.  
I never said thank you for that,  
I thought I might get one more chance.**

A bit more confident now, he licked his dry lips and followed:

**What****would****you****think****of****me****now,****  
so****lucky,****so****strong,****and****so****proud?  
I****never****said****thank****you****for****that,****  
now****I'll****never****have****a****chance.**

Even if he tried hard to prevent it, the chorus came out in a hushed, whispering voice.

**May angels lead you in,  
Hear you me my friends.  
On sleepless roads the sleepless go,  
May angels lead you in. **

The bridge was the hardest part of the song, for the lack of vocals to focus on only launched him into a higher level of reflection. He had been just so close to snap, but now...How, just how could he feel angry? Now that he stood in front of them, with his soul bare and heart in hand, he became aware of how many things he regretted. So much he wanted to say, all the experiences he would've loved to share with them. They were gone, and if he could, he would give everything there was to give to change that fact.

**And if you were with me tonight,  
I'd sing to you just one more time.  
A song for a heart so big,  
God couldn't let it live.  
**

He had so many good things pass him by just because he was stupid enough to allow the hatred and resentment to weigh him down.

**May angels lead you in,  
Hear you me my friends.  
On sleepless roads the sleepless go,  
May angels lead you in.**

At the last chorus, he realized he could no longer keep it all inside, and the words heaved out of his chest in pained, uncontained screams.

**May angels lead you in,  
Hear you me my friend.  
On sleepless roads the sleepless go,  
May angels lead you in.**

When the song was over, and he had already released every last figment of torment from his soul, he lowered his head so that his forehead was resting on one of the curves of his dear Helena. Bitter, distressing tears slipped from under his closed eyelids and landed on his lap, the black fabric of his pants quickly absorbing them, as if they were never there to begin with.

They were in a better place. He was sure of that more than anything.

Still, one couldn't help but to wonder...Were they in pain? Did they feel anything at all? What was their last thought?

Did they think about him at the very end?

"I'm sorry." He sobbed quietly into one of his sleeves, glancing remorsefully at the dark, unfilled holes in the earth. The pain became too overwhelming, and for a moment he closed his eyes, causing more tears to pour out. "I'm so sorry..."

* * *

Taking advantage of his natural speed, he ran as fast as those foreign, tight clothes allowed him to. In his haste and need to be sympathetic with a friend, or whatever the grumpy teen was to him, he'd failed to remember just how much he hated formal outfits. He hadn't gone as far as to wear a suit, since it would be an exaggeration, but he still felt quite strange dressing in those cheerless colors. The sun was staring directly into his face, rather than down at him, making it difficult to keep is dazed gaze on the sidewalk.

Those places had always made him awfully uncomfortable, and he could swear he heard his name being called out in a muffled voice more than once. There was so much more to that place than what met the eye, so many unheard, screaming voices waiting for someone sensitive enough to hear them. And unfortunately for him, he was that someone. He kept strolling in between the tombstones in vain hopes of finding the one person he was looking for.

After what seemed like an eternity of aimlessly walking around the burial ground, sweet, distant music reached his weary ears, along with a familiar voice — rough yet beautiful. He let the music guide him, blindly following his ears. The brunette took a few more steps towards the direction his senses were leading him to, until he found himself at the top of a small, isolated hill.

And sure enough, there he was, sitting on a tall chair; he certainly was the one producing that melancholic song. He was dressed in black, as expected, the collar of a white dress shirt peeking out from under the dark jacket perched on his shoulders.

Instead of walking up to him and offer his sincere support and kindness, he only stood there, mesmerized by the engaging melody. It was so beautiful, even if he wasn't able to understand the lyrics from afar. Just when he had made up his mind about going, his gaze centered on the couple withdrawing slowly from where the black haired teen sat, unleashing the contents of his soul.

**Jaden's P.O.V**

How odd...

I didn't see them there when I looked around, and I surely would've seen them coming that close to him. Why, I'm beginning to think they just came out of nowhere. Anyway, I'm probably too tired to even notice that. I wonder if I'm dreaming again...

Did I really dressed up and ran all the way here to interact with someone who doesn't even like me? Am I nuts or something?

My attention was about to focus back to him when the woman, all of a sudden, turned around and stared right at me. I know it was me she was looking at because there was no one else in the entire place besides him, his classmate and them, of course. It was so accurate, like she knew I had been there the whole time.

We held each other's gazes from a short while, before she glanced back at the singer with sadness on her pale, beautiful face

Who is this woman?

My head reels as I watch her smile sweetly up at me, and in spite of the strange situation, I find myself smiling back.

(End of Chapter 4)

* * *

This story is weird, isn't it?

Anyhow, with that pathetically sad chapter, I leave you all to ponder on why you're still reading this after a year of not having updated anything Yeah, I suck. R&R!


	5. The End Of Heartache

**Authoress****Note:** You've no idea how grateful I am for your reviews, guys! Thank you **Mattie****Scary**, **Naru-kyo**, **Allaboutromance**, **ShleAay123**, **Alcorion**! Your reviews are love, seriously.

**Summary:**(AU fic) When you suddenly find your life shattered, you learn that love can be found in the most unpredictable places. Takes place through their last year of high school, so if you're looking for a Duel monsters story, this is not for you. ChazzJaden

**Pairings:**Mostly ChazzJaden and one-sided JadenAster, but there'll be other pairings as well...

**Warning:** No warnings for this chapter. Only Chazz and his dirty, pretty mouth.

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu Gi Oh GX.

* * *

Chapter 5  
**"****The ****End ****of ****Heartache****"**

**Chazz's P.O.V.**

Ever felt the urge to wrap your hands around your sibling's neck and squeeze 'til their eyes pop out? Well, I certainly have…

And if the words 'Not really', or, 'Of course not!' crossed your mind, then you're either lying or in denial. Sure, it sounds harsh and stuff, but homicidal urges are one of the things in life you cannot help.

Sometimes it seems their sole existence is based on delivering suffering to yours. I mean, there I was, having the most intense and deserved sleep of my life, happy and without bothering anyone.

And along came Slade and Jagger...Those two have nothing better to do with their lives, I swear.

Anyway, one of them, I'm really not sure who it was at the moment, (but I'll find out and when I do…), thought it would be a good idea to wake me up at 4 in the fucking morning by stuffing a feather from my own pillow into my nose. I woke up with a startle, stupidly jumped off bed and landed face-first on the cold marble.

Ahh…Did I mention the homicidal urges?

A pained groan left my lips before my sleepy mind could even comprehend what the hell was going on. For those who are still unable to understand how I felt at that moment, I'll put it this way: you're afraid of the dark until you hear laughter in night, especially when you know your suffering is the source of that laughter.

I wanted to cry, I wanted to die, but above it all, I wanted to be an only child.

"You're probably wondering why we're here, aren't you little brother?" Oh, if only looks could kill… "Well…"

"We've some relatively good news for you." Jagger cut in casually and with contempt, as usual. I've always hated the way they finish each other's sentences, like they have this creepy, stupid bound that allows them to communicate telepathically.

Of course, that's only because it takes both their brains to make a decent and operational one. Hehe, Dad used to cackle at that one.

Wait, wait…what did he say? 'Relatively good news' for me? I absolutely did not like the sound of that, and I had all the right to do so. "Yes, yes, very good news indeed. You see, Chazz…" Not long had he said that I realized I was no longer laying on the ground, but looking right into that smug face of his, my bare feet now touching the floor. They can scoop me up with so much ease it's almost scary.

Yet another thing I hate about them...

Luckily, my knees didn't buckle under the weight of his arm on my shoulder. It was Slade who'd picked me up, and he was now standing so close I could feel his rich cologne and scotch scent smoldering my nostrils. He smelled expensive, so no surprise there. "I think you might want to sit down first." I hung my head low and squeezed my eyes shut, trying so hard to lock out the voices that lured me into madness.

It didn't work.

"And I think I should jump out of that window," I deadpanned, using my thumb to point the balcony behind me, "but I'm tired and very, _very_ pissed off, so just get the fuck on with it already!"

They chuckled huskily at my comment and shared one last eager glance before finally telling me in unison. "We're moving in!"

"..."_ 'Oh fuck...oh, holy fucking crap!'_

The arm around me tightened a little, bringing me even closer to Slade's tall and slightly cold frame in a scarily 'affective' shake. "You can't live in a huge house all by yourself, specially 'cause you're still underage."

I could hear Jagger talking cheerfully on the background while the world spun madly beneath me. I really should've sat down like Slade told me to. "It's our duty as your older brothers to take care of you..." Duty my **ass**. I knew their disdainful joy was all because it would be easier for them to torment me now that we lived together. I would have to see their ugly faces everyday and...

And...

Ugh, where was that window, again…?

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX 

"Coffee?"

I grunted, pushing the deep blue mug away the instant it was placed in front of me. Oh, I wanted it, but coming from them, any kind of nice gesture was highly suspicious.

"It's poisoned, isn't it?" Slade eyed me quietly, and there was something on his hard eyes that told me he was honestly stunned at my comment, even if it was almost nonexistent. "On second thought..." He cocked his head to the side when I snatched the cup from his hands as fast as I could without spilling any coffee, but he still didn't say anything. "Might as well do me a favor."

If it was indeed poisoned, then I'd get rid of those two, _forever_.

One long sip and everything else tasted like glory. Okay, now I could deal with whatever those lousy scrubs could throw my way.

"So, Chazz..." I was sitting on the farthest corner of the table, with the cupboards and refrigerator behind me, so when Slade came to stand next to me and Jagger sat down across me, I was literally trapped. I should've been scared but strangely enough, I couldn't care less.

I could always toss the hot coffee into the nearest ugly face and make a run for it.

Because this time, I was one step ahead of them, and I knew perfectly what they were going to ask. His gaze bore onto mine and I tilted my head to return the favor, flashing him a wide smirk when his jaw tightened. I thought his head was going to explode afterwards.

"Where were you yesterday? You know, when we were burying Mom and Dad." There was no anger on his tone when he spoke; instead, there was tiredness and disappointment. "You just don't care, do you? You never did, and this proves it."

I was so sick of it all already, and that was probably the only reason I didn't crash the cup into his temple. Despite all that, a humorless laugh wheezed out of my chest. "Yeah, like you ever did."

"You little..." Jagger dashed over to where I sat with a growl, very much intent on strangling the insolence out of me, and I had barely spared him an apathetic glance before Slade raised his hand to stop him. Wow, he really didn't seem interested in violence. He just pursed his lips into a tight line and then twisted them into a sardonic smirk, willing to keep playing along with me on this mockery match.

"If they could only see you now..." The next thing I knew, he was leaning over me, mint-fresh breath brushing my face as he continued to spread the venom. "Their precious, little boy..."

Was that resentment on his voice?

"...just turned out to be an ungrateful prick."

How odd... After so many years of wishing for it, I was startled to realize his hurtful comments and scoffs weren't having the desired effect on me anymore. They didn't reach me at all.

I rolled my eyes and hopped off the chair. "Oh, go stuff yourselves." Dumping the cup into the sink, I turned to leave and found Jagger blocking the door, glaring down at me in a way that told me how much he wanted to reach down my throat and pull my guts out. I glared back twice as hard and pushed past him just when he was finally stepping to the side. The door-frame felt cold under my fingers as I stood there for a moment, pondering, and I heard myself whispering something to them before walking out.

"And I did go."

* * *

By the time AC/DC started playing on his alarm clock, he was already up, freshly warm from showering and with a smile that matched the horde of excitement that jiggled inside him. Slipping his black t-shirt and jeans on, he seriously found himself wondering if life could get any better.

He was in a very good mood, better than usually, the music was cheerful, and he was practically ready for school; even had time to have some breakfast.

A loud crash-like sound followed by an equally loud gasp startled him almost to the point of chocking with the toothpaste lather on his mouth. His mother's face appeared through the door-frame shortly after that. "Jaden..." She looked at him as if she was just seeing him for the first time. "You're...up...?" He rinsed his mouth and smiled at her stunned reflection.

"Yeah...what's for breakfast?"

"I'm fine, Mom..." Jaden said through a mouthful of scrambled eggs and toast, grinning innocently up at the couple that stared back from across the counter, concerned out of their minds by the look of things. "Whut?"

"Well, it's been years since the last time you actually had breakfast here before going to school, and even at that time, I practically had to haul your ass out of that bed." Soft, milk-chocolate eyes scanned him over insightfully and then she smiled in that sharp I-know-so-you-might-as-well-spit-it-out way only mothers can pull off. "So, why the sudden change, kid?"

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you I'm excited about going to school, would you?" He was kind of hoping to throw her off balance with that comment, but she just shrugged it off and sat down besides him with a pensive frown.

"I would." She looked at him dead in the eye and her frown lessened slightly. The effect it had in him, however, didn't. "But I want to know why."

"Leyla, give the boy some space, for the love of God." His step-father, Anthony, cut in while aiming a disapproving scowl at his mother, who smiled sheepishly down at the floor.

"Thanks, Tony."

"You're welcome." He said, passively; his features soon softened into an interested grin. "Is it because of a special someone?" Jaden rolled his eyes, amused. Tony was just as curious as his mother, but he didn't mention the word 'girl' for fear of making him nervous, and for that he was awesomely grateful.

"Hm, you could say that..." Dumping his empty plate into the sink, he smiled when the dark haired man perched his favorite red jacket on his shoulders and kissed his mother's cheek before heading out, bag in hand.

—

Mrs. Truesdale shook her head sympathetically and smiled at him when he sighed. It seemed Syrus had a strong cold, delusional fever and all, so he would have to walk school alone. He arrived just in time to see a black limo, one that looked suspiciously like the one that almost ran him over, stopping right in front of the path that spread all the way to the main gates like a red carpet.

Why wasn't he surprised when Chazz stepped out of the car sporting a nonchalant expression and with an air of hostility that seemed to repel even the birds flying over at the moment?

Of course, he was still awfully handsome.

The jerk.

And like bees drawn to honey, the girls kept approaching him, body language high-lighting their interest for this gorgeous stranger. With broad, inviting smiles and sultry hip moves, the girls were giving the new boy one hell of a welcome.

Or throwing themselves cheaply at him, as he saw it.

It's amazing how a pretty face can fool people, he thought in awe. These girls clearly knew **nothing** about him. They didn't know about his short-temper and witty attitude, or about his dislike for people.

They were completely oblivious to the fact that he'd tried to end his life the night before his first day of school.

A curvy blonde, who looked so petite standing next to the dark haired teen, slipped her arm around his and beamed up at him when his eyes widened in surprise. Her pink lips moved to utter words that got lost in the distance and still, Jaden didn't need to hear them to know it had been something daring and flirtatious.

_'Here it comes...'_ Yes, rejection seemed to be next on that slutty girl's morning schedule...until the youngest Princeton answered her with the most alluring smirk he could muster up and said something back that made all the girls laugh and squeak.

It was a whole new side of him that the brunette had never seen before, and it had his stomach churning with jealously. It was so charming he would've sworn his heart stopped at the sight had it not been hammering away at his ribcage. A wave of possessiveness surged through him, and he bit his lip to stop himself from shouting out. Suddenly, he felt pissed off, light-headed and so horribly miserable.

None of them had heard him sing or seen him cry. No one knew him — not the way he knew him, at least. That thought somehow made the whole thing a little bit more bearable to watch.

The conversation was only a few minutes old and the foreign boy was already wearing a polite smile that showed his desire to be somewhere else at the moment. Of course, nobody noticed that but him. A rather cute girl with round, freckled cheeks reached out to fiddle with one of his front midnight spikes, caressing it between her fingers tenderly. Whether it had been her actions or what she said next that made Chazz blush, he didn't know. He countered her comment shortly after that, smirk back on its rightful place.

And then those dazzling, grey orbs darted towards him, pinning him down on the spot. Must've felt his intent stare on him, he figured.

His expression faltered slightly, and there was an evident stiffening on his back, but he kept talking calmly, nonchalantly as if nothing had happened. His gaze, however, remained glued to Jaden's the entire time, who realized after what felt like an eternity that he had been staring for a while now.

Odd...his face felt way too warm for comfort.

Mumbling incoherently, he tore his eyes away from **him** and fixed them stubbornly on the rock sitting next to him, admiring the grass that edged around it like he had never seen something like it in his whole life. A drop fell on the muddy stone, crashing into tiny bits at the contact.

The sidewalk around him was covered with darker, glossy spots, too. In seconds, it was all wet and then, so was he. Flows of cold, musky water dashed through his scalp, down his bangs, and he could hear the yelps of surprise from everyone before they all hurried to get inside. He knew he should get inside as well, shelter his wet self from the ruthless wind, and yet he just couldn't will his legs to move.

Chazz was still looking at him as one of the girls, the one with the freckles, clang onto him and dragged him along. The school bell rang and he got to class.

* * *

It was so not his fault...

He had just walked out the limo (as if that hadn't been distracting enough), and the next thing he knew, they were all over him. Some of them had even walked away from their boyfriends while the poor bastards were still talking. He grinned inwardly.

Hey, the Princeton charm gets'em every time.

A tug on his arm, and he looked down to find a lovely blonde attached to his arm. Not that he was complaining though. "If I'm dead, please don't CPR me. I think I'm in heaven, already." She said, sighing contentedly and smiling.

_'Ha, if this is your best pick-up line, then please CPR me...' _He always had a thing for bold chicks; they were hot as hell in his opinion, mostly because every time a girl hit on him, he was left at a loss of words. This time, however, it simply annoyed him. He opened his mouth to say something back, still somewhat baffled at her audacity, but reconsidered his words at the last moment.

Instead of telling her to fuck off, he flashed her one of his sexiest smirks.

And so, the 'stupidest pick-up line ever' contest began. "I should be the one saying that, seeing as I'm the one surrounded by angels." They all made strange, adoring noises, like the ones his dogs made whenever he patted their heads, and started asking him all kind of questions. His name, favorite food, pastimes...

Quite disturbed by then, he wondered how long it'd be before the goddamned bell rang. There was a strange feeling on his gut that he chose to ignore, along with a sensibility on his neck that felt too familiar, and he just knew it had something to do with the annoying brunet kid, the one he met the night his parents passed away.

The one that'd held him tight and protected him from a cold death.

He was literally pulled out of his daze by a tug on his longest front bang. And man, was she cute. Dark brown hair, big navy blue eyes and a constellation of pretty freckles scattered all over her pale face; she was a real beauty.

"Your hair's very soft." She leaned closer and hummed blissfully. He thought she was really clueless, but blushed stupidly nonetheless. "Good-looking and charming...you're a true catch, Chazz."

The ebony haired boy smirked sultrily. "And you just meet me, love. Wait 'till you see the whole of me." Maybe it was a not-too-subtle hint, maybe it was a warning. He wasn't sure.

When he lifted his gaze just a little in order to peek around, his eyes instantly fell over a well-known face and stayed there, as if by work of a supernatural spell. His shoulders were slumped, the ever-present happy glimmer around him was gone and the expression he was wearing made Chazz' chest ache with something nameless and unwanted. Naturally translucent, he seemed so sad and hopeless.

So very beautiful and broken.

Even after the other looked away, the dreadful sensation was still there, coaxing him to take action. The words kept coming out of his mouth, steady, serene...programmed. "Now if you'll excuse me girls, I need to take care of something." He began to gently slide through the crowd, ready to approach the caramel eyed teen, but stopped only when he felt a chilly drop land on the tip of his nose.

A lot more fell on his hand as he raised it to his face, and soon his bangs were sticking to his forehead and dripping wet, too. The pretty brunette grabbed him by the arm and hauled him along with her, clinging to him for support while everybody else rushed past them to get inside.

Chazz looked back and the other boy was still standing there, soaked and probably freezing, but making no effort to shelter himself from the rain. He was distantly thankful for the fact that Slade had not let him out unless he wore something warmer, and he had chosen to wear his favorite black jacket.

Without knowing why he cursed loudly, and paid no attention to the stares he received when he was done.

* * *

The teacher scowled at him when he appeared in the doorway; however, as soon as he had walked in, inattentive and soaking wet and she got to fully look at him, she had barked an order his way, to go wash himself, maybe call home and ask for some dry clothes.

Like a zombie, he turned around wordlessly and did as he was told.

He dropped by Infirmary first, to retrieve a towel or just something that resembled one, and walked to the boy's lavatory. It was empty, so he enjoyed and cherished the quiet while he dried himself off. Peeling his now heavy jacket, shirt and socks off, he extended them over the side of one of the cubicles and proceeded to towel his hair. Eyes closed and slightly agape, Jaden allowed the flow of thoughts to run freely through his mind once again, especially those about a black-haired prick that apparently believed to have the right to do such things to him just because he was oh-so-very-handsome...

Wait. What did he do again?

"Ugh, it doesn't matter. He's still a prick."

Was he really?

"Talking to yourself, huh?" The brunette flinched and almost stumbled back at the sound of that rough, openly sarcastic voice addressing him so casually, like they were the best of friends. Or worse, even rivals. "That's definitely a positive on the insanity test, you know?" He fumbled stupidly with the moldy towel, chest heavy with disbelief and a bit of hope when he heard the other wheeze out a light-hearted chuckle.

A silver, half-closed gaze stared right at him from the mirror, along with a brilliant smirk from the dark haired boy standing behind him. His hands were tucked inside the front pockets of his jeans and the collar of his pitch-black, short coat was folded upwards, brushing against his ears and spikes as he walked closer and rested his hand, as well as his whole weight, on the counter, a foot or two away from the barely dressed teen.

Meanwhile, Chazz was trying his best to smirk and scoff mockingly just so he could forget about the heat that'd burned bright on his cheeks moments ago at the sight of tanned skin smothered around that lean, prettily chiseled torso. He'd watched in awe how his shoulder-blades and the muscles on his back shifted and tensed with every move the other made while drying his hair with such an appealing expression on his face and WHAT THE HELL WAS HE THINKING?!

The eyes that the brunet rolled towards him were wary yet arresting in so many indescribable ways.

They stared at each other for about ten more seconds before the shorter teen slipped on a tight, sour scowl and shook his head to arrange his hair back to its usual curvy shape. "Am not..."

"Really? Well, I don't see anybody else here besides you and me. So, unless you were talking to me instead of about me, which I'm pretty sure you were..." His ranting was cut off straight away when Jaden turned around and glanced at him with a disbelieving, irritated face. "What?"

"You were...listening?" Jaden huffed with an amused half-smile and leaned his low back against the faucet, breath hitching at the contact of ice-cold metal touching his warm skin. "You can't say I'm the one stalking you now."

"What- I never said that!" Chazz squeaked indignantly, vein popping on his neck.

"No, but you thought about it at some point."

"Yeah, whatever..." They both sighed at the same time, and looked at one another bewilderedly after they realized they had mirrored each other. The brown eyed boy smiled while retrieving his clothes, just now noticing how alike he and Chazz could be. It sounded weird even in his head, but he just had the feeling he'd known him forever. There was a faint rustling of fabric next to him, but he ignored it.

He bent down to fish his shoes and almost hit his head against the faucet in his hurry to look up when he felt a light, comforting weight being placed on his shoulders.

On the other side of the door, Chazz remembered his words and slammed his palm against his forehead. **"****I****'****m ****just ****lending ****it ****to ****you, ****I ****expect ****it ****back ****tomorrow. ****Take ****care ****of ****it; ****it****'****s ****one ****of ****my ****favorites.****"**

Did he really just say that...?!

* * *

This was finished minutes before my birthday party, so it's massively rushed and stuff, but I hope you like it!


	6. Ride The Sky

**Authoress****Note:** Such a busy semester...Anyway, thank you so much for the reviews **ShleyAay123**, **Alcorion**, **GintaxAlvissForever**, **Mattie****Scary**, **Naru-Kyou,****MinxBubbleOo**and **twistidsister****emogirl**! Hope you like it.

**Summary:**(AU fic) When you suddenly find your life shattered, you learn that love can be found in the most unpredictable places. Takes place through their last year of high school, so if you're looking for a Duel monsters story, this is not for you. ChazzJaden

**Pairings:**Mostly ChazzJaden and one-sided JadenAster, a bit of JesseJaden, but there'll be other pairings as well...

**Warning:** No warnings for this chapter. Only Chazz and his dirty, pretty mouth.

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu Gi Oh GX.

* * *

Chapter 6  
"**Ride the Sky"**

It had stopped raining by the time his last class was over, so he didn't need to worry about not having his coat, at least not for the moment. Even though the scenery left behind was nothing he hadn't seen before, it didn't make it any less enthralling, and he noticed the beauty of it all as soon as he stepped out the main gates.

Wherever he looked, everything seemed too bright, too beautiful. From the way the sunlight caught the water dangling from the flowers and tree leaves in a supernatural glow, to the mystic, gold-like glimmer on the clouds.

That aside, it all quickly became sort of frustrating after Chazz glanced around, twice, never catching so much of a glimpse of that chocolate mop of hair. '_And __you__'__re __looking __for __him __because...?_'

"Not really in the mood for another one of our deep conversations, thank you very much." He whispered back distractedly, feeling the burning on his ears because of the stares he was receiving, and sighed. It all had stopped being funny and flattering a long time ago. Strangely enough, the black limo wasn't waiting for him as always.

Ah, what the hell. A long, peaceful walk home was just what he needed to relieve his mind, even stop by for some coffee. Yeah, he could definitely use some caffeine; maybe buy a half-dozen of strawberry muffins while he was there. "God, what am I? A depressed chick?"

'_Yeah, __whatever, __just __go __get __the __muffins._'

"Hm, I think I saw a coffee shop on the way here." Great, now all he needed was some music. With the black device nestling against his thigh, he plugged the earphones and looped them around his neck. He was still fumbling with the tangled wires when someone collided right into his chest, sending a bunch of white envelopes flying around. Crouching down automatically, he began to pick them up, noticing by chance the address it was intended to. London, England, for someone named Atticus or something like that.

A gentle voice called out for him as soon as he had them all in his hands. "I'm sorry..." Standing back up, the first thing he noticed were those long, amazingly shaped legs and the relatively short skirt covering them. His head snapped up quickly to find mild, honey eyes waiting for him apologetically.

The second, she was impossibly beautiful.

Glossy, full lips parted a little just to flash him a vibrant smile. "I wasn't looking..." Her expression faltered slightly, then she narrowed her eyes pensively before holding out her arms, and he handed her what he believed to be letters. "You must be Chazz." He was speechless at her confidence and shook her hand out of instinct when she held it out for him. "I'm Alexis Rhodes."

Pulling himself back together, he frowned curiously and returned the smile, in his own trademark, smirk-like version, naturally. "You...got that right, Alexis. How did you know it was me?"

She hugged the papers to her chest and shrugged. "Well for one, I hadn't seen you around before and you're kinda hard to overlook."

"Wow...that must be the nicest thing anyone's ever said to me." Was that sarcasm or the very truth? Alexis took it as sarcasm, thankfully, her small shoulders quaked in silent laughter.

"Besides, Jasmine's been driving me nuts, talking about you the entire morning. You really left a lasting impression on her, I guess."

"I see. So...is your friend as pretty as you? 'Cause that can only mean one thing for me," He tilted his upper body closer, as if angling for a kiss while she comically leaned back, away from him. "Jackpot." This girl seemed to be used to that type of comments, since she just lowered her head and shrugged again, unruffled by his cheekiness.

"Alright..."

'_Nice move, Chazzanova.' _

Perfect. Now he felt like an idiot, and Alexis surely thought he was one, too. Time to change the subject. "Say, Alexis...where can I get a descent coffee around here?" There. He probably would have to ask that to someone, anyway.

"By yourself, right?"

'_Whoa, this kitten's got claws. Really sharp claws, judging by the way that stung.'_

"O-of course. I didn't say anything about a date, did I?" She looked taken aback, if only a little, and with something resembling pride he guessed she was new to the term rejection. Maybe she was, he thought distantly, because _hello_, the girl's fucking gorgeous and all.

In a much lower tone, the object of his musings resumed talking. "There's a place like five or six blocks away from here, that way." The blonde pointed her finger behind him, shifting her hold on the envelopes. "Gray and blue tables outside; can't miss it." She nailed her eyes into his, action that felt akin to a warning for him, and scanned him over. Her faze felt awfully intense on him, like it was an invisible link connecting him to a lighting bolt, spreading wonderful sensibility throughout his entire body.

All of a sudden, a cold but soft hand reached out for his, examining the blood smeared all over his palm like a sinister second skin. "What the...?" He had completely forgotten about that gash.

More like he had tried to forget about it.

"You're bleeding." She said those words more to herself than to him, letting go of him to rummage inside her bag. The next thing he knew, she was tying a white silk handkerchief around his wounded hand. "Keep it. You better clean that up before it gets infected."

"Thanks..." No girl had ever been so nice to him, not without wanting something else in return, so he kind of wondered if he had just sold his soul without knowing; if perhaps he had given up a part of himself for something this good because he was starting to feel like everything except himself. He was no longer Chazz Princeton, but a knotted mass of jelly and bizarrely sweet thoughts. "I think I'm in love." Alexis glanced at him, studying his serious face with a blank stare. An eternity of almost-bliss passed by before she mirrored his expression and smiled, understandingly.

There was no need to explain anything — somehow, they both knew he was joking. "See you around, Chazz."

Then again...was he really joking? He couldn't be too sure about that.

She walked past him, and he couldn't help but to notice she smelled terribly nice.

* * *

He was out of the building probably before the school bell had finished ringing, and even though the rain had already stopped by then, he was still wrapped up in that black, pleasantly scented jacket. It blew behind him with the wind as he ran, embracing his body like it was his, made especially for him. The enthusiasm bubbled on his chest like a stew of confusing emotions, making him feel awfully light and joyful, so much he didn't bother thinking why he felt that way in the first place.

Overall, the day itself hadn't been one of his best. Syrus was home sick, he had to spend the whole day wearing wet clothes that never seemed to warm up and feeling somewhat weary. For the lack of a better thing to do, he was forced to pay attention in class.

The bloody-murder scream had to be replaced with a repressed shudder. Yes, he listened to everything the teachers had to say without falling asleep. Although it hadn't been that bad, he had absolutely no intention of doing it again.

**Ever**.

That said...why the sudden rush of happiness? Better yet, why the hurry?

As far as he knew, there was no one waiting for him at home, he was not (very) hungry and he didn't have to work that day. He had to pop by Sy's house to check on him, but other than that, he had no plans. First of all, he had to get some cookies for his friend, y'know, to help him heal faster.

He lowered his speed just in time to avoid crashing into one of the tables sitting in front of his working place, which by the looks of it was almost empty. Being his day off, he would normally be as far as possible from there; however, they had the best cookies ever, (except for Mrs. Truesdale's, of course), so it was necessary. Just when he was wondering why there was no one behind the counter, his boss Gabriel, a dark haired woman on her early twenties, stumbled through the kitchen door. She was having a hard time carrying a big box of supplies, keys clutched loosely on her slim fingers.

Stepping in just in time, he supported the box with one hand before she could drop it and lifted the weight out of her arms, a sympathetic grin lighting up his face. "Jaden!" Her almond-shaped auburn eyes were as wide as saucers and a relieved smile found its way to her lips. "Aw, you're such a gentleman. What are you doing here?" She blinked incredulously at the ease with which the brunette placed the box on top of the mini-fridge, like it was half-empty and not completely full as it was. He then leaned casually against the door frame, not showing any signs of strain whatsoever.

She smiled helplessly. Boys...

Also, there was something different about him, a detail she couldn't seem to put her finger on.

"I just came to buy some-"

"Anyway, I'm glad you're here 'cause I need a favor." He opened his mouth to protest but she cut him off again, too busy looking for something on the shelves underneath the registrator. "Where the fuck are my keys?!" Whether it was her frantic tone or the very fact that she would never find them there what made him laugh out loud, he didn't know. How did she not hear them clatter every time she moved her hand around?

At his delicious crackle, she sat back, staring out blankly as realization set in. Jaden glanced down at her and smiled when she jingled the keys over her head. "I know. I'm an idiot..." Bouncing back to her feet, Gab slinked past him and grabbed a smaller package out of the box she'd brought with her. "Could you take care of things while I make a delivery? Just five minutes. Thanks, you're a sweetheart!"

"But it's my...!" He tried to yell after her, to see if he could actually make her stay despite his lack of hope in succeeding. "...day-off." Oh, that was so Gabriel-like. Finishing the statement was rather lame of him, seeing as she was already gone. Only he would be stupid enough to show up, knowing how developed Gab's manipulative skills were, and how much of a mush he was.

An extremely dumb mush, he had to admit.

On the other hand, he liked and respected her too much to get mad at her; especially if he was feeling happy for no apparent reason. Leaning his back against the door frame again, he dragged his palm down his face, all the way from his forehead to his chin in a dreary, frustrated fashion. "It's like working with children, I swear." He mumbled grumpily, his head and torso already feeling a little too warm for comfort, so he slid the jacket off his shoulders and hanged it on the makeshift hook nailed to the wall.

Gabriel's surprised expression from earlier popped up in his mind again, and even if he was sort of pissed at her, he was heavily reminded of the first time they met, about two years ago.

They'd hit it off from the very beginning, he recalled fondly. Back to the time when he was a bored teenager and she was a pink haired young woman who was just getting started on the business and in desperate need for aid. He was walking by late afternoon on a Sunday, looking for something to do and saw the cardboard notice with 'Help Wanted' scribbled in barely legible handwriting on the window. He had been so confident about getting the job that he actually took it off on his way in. The look Gab gave him when he handed her the notice had been priceless.

She merely stared at him with what she'd later describe as 'the stupidest face ever', and said, "You're hired."

"Excuse me..." A shy voice addressed him softly, his little musing bubble bursting instantly as he was brought back to reality. There was a rather cute lady in glasses waiting for him, green eyes watching him from under thick, brown lashes. "I dropped my spoon. Can you give me another one?"

"Sure." Attentive as ever, he swiped a disposable, wrapped-up one from the container next to him and walked closer to give it to her, surprising her and even himself by tripping over something on the first step. From his spot on the floor, he cursed sourly. "I'm gonna kill you for this, Gab..." He'd totally forgotten Hurricane-Gabriel had swept by, leaving nothing but mayhem and all kind of potentially dangerous stuff lying around.

Seriously, how did that woman handle everything while he was not around?

"There you go." The girl flinched visibly at the sound of his hand slamming against the counter, the stupid spoon she'd asked for beneath his palm. She took it hesitantly once his arm had retreated, mumbling a forced '_Thanks_' under her breath before dashing out. Jaden stayed were he was, hidden behind the desserts stand, feeling pretty much like slapping himself...with the registrator.

Peachy. Third customer he'd scared off that week, fourth if he counted the guy he locked inside the restroom accidentally. And he just **knew** that the only reason he still had his job was because Gab always laughed hysterically instead of firing him every time he told her about his little screw-ups.

"Crazy woman..."

Certainly, they were times when he'd wanted to strangle the insanity out of her, _violently_. However, he loved her like an older sister, and forgiving and loving all kind of mistakes was in a younger sibling's good nature, right? It was, and that was precisely why he sucked it up and began to recollect the things scattered across the wooden floor, placing them on the rustic shelves, preferably on the very back, out of Gabriel's reach.

Out of children's reach, he thought with a smile, stretching his arm out to arrange the cans and small boxes, careful as to not brush his clothes against the dusty panels.

One of those moments of complete calm, the kind that gives the impression of lasting forever settled over the whole place like a warm and comfy blanket, his mind starting to disconnect itself from the world with the serenity it conveyed.

It was so deceiving, in fact, that when the little silver bell Gab bought for service chimed impatiently right above his head, he jerked up like a frightened mouse and jammed his nape against the counter. The large white and black spots dancing in front of his eyes were greatly disturbing, and the pain...

Oh, the pain. "Ooow..." He cooed miserably, resting his cheek on the wood, not caring if he happened to swallow a few dust bunnies as he did.

Thankfully, whoever was making the bell ring stopped instantly at the thud; a sympathetic whistle and a voice that he was clearly unable to mistake called out for him. "That must've hurt."

Saying he ripped himself away from between the shelves would be a perfectly accurate description of what he did. It only took a fraction of a second for recognition's sharp effect to kick in, the throbbing on his skull now a fleeting twinge as he peeked up, sealing his lips together tight enough to squeeze the blood out of them just so he wouldn't gasp like a melodramatic little girl.

There, standing less than 2 feet away from him was Chazz, inopportune like always, and dammit it if he didn't look ridiculously gorgeous with his head cocked to the side, brow furrowed slightly in curious surprise.

Why the hell didn't that knock him out? It wasn't too much to ask, was it?

In the meantime, the black-haired teen was having a hard time making up his mind as to what he should be feeling at the moment, following the other with his eyes as he stood up. Should he be angry and freaked out at the brunette for potentially stalking him, or just laugh at the insanity of it all?

Definitely option B.

"This is incredible..." He chuckled, returning the skeptical, pleased look Jaden had given him earlier while they were in the restroom.

The sense of accomplishment he got for that was amazing.

"You know what? I get it, okay? I really do. I mean, I'm smokin' hot and all. Of course you can't help finding me irresistible," When the other raised an eyebrow at him, he held out his hand in a soothing, defensive manner. "-and that's alright, logical even, but would you please stop following me?" He smirked all the way through his comment, dropping the last part like he was simply asking for extra cream on top of his 'latte' or some shit like that.

For some extremely odd reason, (or not...), he felt like messing with the dork.

The brunette only blinked at first; he then narrowed his eyes slightly, processing wordlessly what he had just heard. Was this guy serious?

_Really_?

He glanced down and huffed, a little smile peeking from under the tight frown he wanted to wear. Might as well humor the cocky bastard, right? "Yeah...crossing the guy who handles your coffee? Not a smart move, dude." Chazz's smirk widened considerably and he chuckled huskily, watching with good-humored eyes as Jaden shook his head and grinned back at him.

Throughout his whole life, or perhaps ever since he became the cynical jerk he loved to be, the number of people who actually had answered his sarcasm with an even better remark, he could count using his hand.

Not many had outsmarted him in his own game, so he did what any honorable player would do in his position. He admitted defeat. "Touché."

Their gazes were still attached to one another, minds spookily quiet and chests roaring with emotions that neither understood but both embraced gladly. '_Aww...isn__'__t __it __sweet? __Two __love-sick, __equally __stupid __teenagers __drooling __after __each __other...__'_

And just like, that the moment was gone and he snapped out of it, breaking eye-contact at once.

He coughed into his fist, clearing his throat, and finally ordered. "I'd like a coffee. Black, please." Grey, wide eyes darted everywhere, never landing back on the brunette, or anywhere near him for that matter, so they couldn't catch the sliver of hurt that flashed by those brilliant, chocolate ones. After some vain hesitation, Jaden finally began to work on the order, moving deftly behind the counter to retrieve everything he needed.

'_Oh,__be __still __my __beating __heart! __You __two __are __**pathetic**__. __By __the __way, __don__'__t __forget __the __muffins._'

"Do you have muffins?" Their gazes met accidentally, and a chilly wave of embarrassment washed over him.

Because even if the feeling was madly frustrating, this time neither looked away. "Uh...sure. We have oatmeal, banana, strawberry, chocola-"

"Strawberry." The response was quick, automatic and in fact really trivial. Compared to that kind, caramel gaze, everything was.

"How many?" Somehow, it all had turned into a game.

"Six." Whoever lost trail on the conversation first would be the loser.

Neither wanted to lose, apparently. "Here." A plastic cup of steamy, delightfully scented coffee and a paper bag were pushed into his hands in a rather awkward manner, clutched instinctively in between shaky, inattentive fingers.

"Thanks...I'll, uh, see you tomorrow."

"Yeah, you're probably right..." At Chazz's dazedly confused look, he rephrased. "I mean, sure, I'll see you in school..." They remained like that for another second before the dark haired teen turned around stiffly and walked out. He felt strangely hollow, like his soul had detached from his body, obeying numbly as his mind and instincts screamed at him to follow.

But despite the strength of that plea, he stayed put.

"Aren't you forgetting something, Jay?" If he hadn't been so out of it, maybe he would've reacted violently. He glanced at Gab, who now stood at his side, and straightened up.

"...what?" Jaden crossed his arms and, eyes squinted thoughtfully, he began to carefully run his mind over the last five minutes she'd been away, trying hard to find sense in her question. Alright, so he came, Gab left, he chased off yet another costumer, cleaned around a bit, Chazz showed up, ordered some black classic... Perhaps she meant something about that.

He gave him the coffee and muffins he asked for, napkins, sugar, cream... So, what could he possibly have forgotten?

It came back to him in a slap. He didn't charge Chazz. "I'm sorry." The urge to crack his head open by banging it against the wall was so tempting, but he settled for hitting his forehead instead. "I'll pay you back, I swear."

Mental translation: _Why __the __hell __didn__'__t __I __ask __him __his __name?_

The older woman laid her hand on his shoulder and squeezed soothingly. "Ah, it's okay. That's what I get for being such a bossy, irresponsible bitch, I guess." She patted his back, murdering the comforting effect on the contact, her voice tired as she added: "Thanks, you can go now."

Careful as to not stir his snoring friend awake, Jaden placed the brown cardboard box on the nightstand and walked towards the window that stood by the foot of Syrus' bed. It was large, larger than him and it allowed him to see the beautiful afternoon left behind by the rain reflected all over Mrs. Truesdale's colorful garden.

Sometimes he wondered if he was the only one who noticed this kind of things, and how much of a hopeless, romantic sucker that made him.

He smiled and pulled the blue curtains open in a fast movement of his wrist.

"Rise n' shine, Sy!" Since his baby-faced friend didn't so much as twitch, he sat down next to the small bump on the bed and pulled the blankets off his head. Grey, normally wide eyes meet his instantly, staring up at him with that red-nosed pale appearance, some shades of green even, face still and unresponsive as Jaden slipped a hand to his blazing forehead. "You okay there, buddy?"

Syrus only shook his head _no_ at that, too tired and probably delusional to utter any coherent sentence.

"Yeah, I thought so. Got ya some cookies." Smiling, he swayed the open box in front of Syrus' face and achieved very interesting consequences. The bluenette slammed his hand over his mouth and pushed past him, towards the bathroom.

Alright, so maybe it hadn't been such a good idea...

Wow...he really was an incredibly unlucky bastard, wasn't he? He was starting to consider the possibility of running into the brunette in his own bathroom, and the weird part was it wouldn't surprise him that much.

Did that mean he wouldn't mind either?

"Sir, would you like me to drive you?" A polite voice spoke to him seemingly out of nowhere, startling him to the point of almost dropping his coffee. The limo was parked directly at his side, engine still roaring even though the driver was perched in front of the co-pilot door, waiting for him, doubtlessly with no intention of going anywhere without him. He straightened up from his slouched, suspicious position and gazed at the middle-aged man contemplatively.

"Yeah, sure..." He agreed only because he knew there were only so many times he could sneak away; the man smiled pleasantly at his cooperative attitude, opening the rear door for him when he began to approach him. "Great timing, by the way, Fredo." No sarcasm in that comment, amazingly.

"My...name's Steve, Mr. Princeton." _Stevie_ said uncertainly, and it was just impossible for him not to laugh at that.

As a matter of fact, he was actually glad the guy had decided to show up this late. Thanks to that, he had some nice coffee, a few strawberry-flavored snacks for later and he was able to witness what was undeniably the most infectious smile he had ever laid eyes on.

Wait...what?

"Is something wrong, sir?"

"Huh?" The distant-minded teenager looked up at the man sharply, confused by his question, and found himself standing motionless a few steps away from the limo. "Oh...no, nothing's wrong."

He definitely needed some sleep.

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Tossing around tirelessly on the comfortable sheets for the last time, he finally called it quits and hurled his legs out of the edge of his four-poster. The meaning of the word sleep had become something entirely different for him. So much in fact, that he didn't even remember what it felt like to rest on a bed and just lay there, partially dead. Not brooding in plain daylight, because that was basically all he seemed to be doing lately, thinking of death and pain and sun-burning anger and loneliness.

Mostly loneliness, and with some transitory sense of worthlessness flashing by his mind every now and then, which was pretty pathetic now that he though about it, but oh well. Force of the habit, right? Still, the fact that he was thinking so much about it didn't mean he felt alone, as strange as that sounded.

And it sounded very bizarre, making it really hard to believe it himself, but he did.

Perhaps too hysterically.

Only he was okay. _Really_.

For someone who had been on his own for so long, he felt suitably satisfied and calm. It had always been like that, through his childhood and teenage years and it seemed like a blessing right now.

Yeah, he was so lucky. Normal people got sulky and depressed, desperate for human contact, but not him! He didn't need anyone in order to feel complete or happy. No-oh, he was completely independent and free, way above all those sad, needy creatures around him.

"Heh, loneliness." Chazz puffed mockingly, blowing ebony locks off his face. "What a joke..."

He puffed again, this time on his way downstairs, where he could distantly hear his brothers talking.

Maybe the 'blessing' didn't apply when the grief was still as fresh as wet paint.

Yep, there they were, speaking the only language they seemed to know: business. "-and so, it all turned out to be another useless investment, just like I predicted. Anyway, I think we can make a lot out of it, if we play our cards right." His dive into the large, black leather sofa went unnoticed, surprisingly.

Or not, seeing as his brothers weren't precisely multitask kind of people.

"Suppositions aren't enough in this business. Are you sure of that?" Slade...always the stern, sharp prick he'd come to know and accept. Well...tolerate.

"Positive." And Jagger was the one to state the facts, to give the qualities and disadvantages. It all went on and on, his mind far too tired to take notice of this tiring dance anymore.

"Alright, let's make the deal, then. I'll call them in the..." Slade stopped talking when the spiky haired one snorted, turning to look at him piercingly as if becoming aware of his presence for the first time.

"You work at home, too? Wow...no wonder you two are still single." He said boringly, playing with the black bangs hanging in front of his face.

The right buttons to push, he realized with satisfaction when the other dug the heels of his hands into his eyes jadedly. "It's called being somebody, Chazz. You should try it someday."

"No thanks. I'd rather jump off a building..." The comment backfired so beautifully he had to bite the inside of his cheek to anchor himself, feeling dizzy with the way the word _bridge_ just ached inside his chest, screaming for release. And so, he punched himself mentally, into oblivion if possible, but kept his mouth sealed shut.

"If you dislike us so much, then why are you here? Nobody's forcing you to stay..."

Chazz' head snapped up to look at his brother, blush burning bright on his pale face and Slade's gut sort of clenched at the hurt swirling behind the embarrassment on those grey eyes. He finally averted his gaze, mumbling something under his breath.

Rolling his eyes towards where Jagger sat, he found him staring at their little brother with a serious, questioning frown. It was all he needed to understand the situation and he knew straight away what he had to do.

The oldest tossed the papers onto the short table sitting at his feet and sighed. "It's a beautiful night, isn't it? Too lovely to waste it all working..." He said, looking at the moonlit darkness lurking just outside the tall windows. It was the exact opposite of what he would've normally said, so he wasn't really taken baack at the way Chazz and Jagger exchanged similar baffled expressions and followed him with their eyes while he browsed through the drawers of an ebony bookshelf to his right. If he remembered correctly, then what he was looking for was somewhere inside it.

He knew it was that one because it held the only picture ever taken of the Princeton family — the whole family. The one he almost missed and secretly loved.

"Let's call it a night and play a little bit, shall we?" Both of his brothers were deadly silent when he pulled out a deck of poker cards and showed it to them, dangling it proudly on his fingers. "I don't know about you two, but I'm feeling lucky as hell..." Back to his favorite, comfortable couch, he began to deal the cards with casual grace, smiling faintly as they got closer and sat down across him, all of them wearing identical smirks.

"Right...you always say that." Jagger said, tone light, already clearing the table for their game.

"Yeah, and Dad kicked your ass every time." Strangely enough, the mention of their father didn't change the mood at all; instead of stinging like salt to an open wound, it struck them all as prickly nostalgia.

Reminiscence of the good times, the ones that felt like ages ago, when they still had everything they never knew how to appreciate.

—

Overall, the game had been fun and dreadfully even; he didn't win all that much, but it was more than enough to win back the money he'd put in. Everything kinda revolved around Slade and Jagger's poker faces and tricks because, duh, politicians? Besides, they were far more experienced at it than he was, not to mention a lot wiser.

Naturally, that last admission hurt like hell.

It was a wild and very irrational thought, but maybe they all were in the same page here. Perhaps Slade and Jagger were feeling just as lonely as he was. Was that even possible?

A moment of silence to contemplate a really interesting question...

"Naw...I'm too tired to even think straight anymore." He scratched his head one last time before losing himself in the black, oddly comforting void inside his sleepy mind.

(End of Chapter 6)


	7. Sweet Emotion

**Summary:**(AU fic) When you suddenly find your life shattered, you learn that love can be found in the most unpredictable places. Takes place through their last year of high school, so if you're looking for a Duel monsters story, this is not for you. ChazzJaden

**Pairings:**Mostly ChazzJaden and one-sided JadenAster, a bit of JesseJaden, but there'll be other pairings as well...

**Warning:** No warnings for this chapter. Only Chazz and his dirty, pretty mouth.

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu Gi Oh GX.

* * *

Chapter 7  
"**Sweet Emotion"**

He stared at it warily, and it stared right back from its hanging spot on the wall.

He glared at it, and his sanity took a relieved breath because, _thank __God_, it didn't glare back.

The things boredom does to your head...

There's no need to, he'd said when his Mom asked if he wanted her to wash it before he returned it. But then she insisted, saying it would only be polite to 'hand it back fresh and in tip top condition'. A twinge of apprehension surged through him when he realized how close he'd been to blurting out the word _no_ at her question. However, since he was nowhere near comprehension or concern about that one, he decided to just ignore it for the time being.

It wasn't like he had a reason he didn't want to admit, so no real harm right? For all he knew, that thing needed a special care or something like and could get ruined in a regular round in the washing machine. Not like he cared that much if he never got to see it on his black haired classmate ever again, of course. It was simply a matter of courtesy.

Besides, Chazz himself had told him to take care of it, and he had no plans of doing anything but that.

Yep, that was it. That _had_ to be it. He just wanted to return the favor, nothing more. It sure as hell wasn't because he liked the way it smelled. A fantastic dash of vanilla and toffee and a little bit of winter, like taking a lungful of air on Christmas Eve night...

So...yeah, he was just being polite here.

—

It was only 6:30 pm and he was already climbing the walls, sick of lying in bed with his eyes open and thinking about fate and bizarre belly feelings, so he decided to go downstairs. Two steps from reaching the first floor, something short and dark popped into his view, and fell to his feet before he could even react.

He looked down at his little sister Rachel, chuckling briefly as she fumbled around with the Reaper costume she'd wore for Halloween. She'd been trying to get him back for the last harmless prank he'd played on her, (facial art with permanent markers; a classic), always failing for some 'stupid reason', as she called it. "Nice try, Rache." Her huge jade eyes glanced up at him defiantly, surely promising yet another trick.

"Stupid robe..." She said pouting adorably, sinking her small fist into the long cape and mask. An inevitable-kind of smile crept into his lips at that. Five-year olds could be so cute sometimes.

Since there was no reason to be on guard anymore, he yawned and stretched, loving the soothing sensation it elicited on his cramped muscles. And then, like all the good things in life, his serene little moment was cut short way too soon for his liking when someone rammed into him, dripping fruit juice or something on his shirt. He opened his eyes to the sight of his step-sister, Alessa, staring down at her own drenched clothes, gaping at the greenish brown stain that stood out even more on her white top.

The wet, unpleasantly sticky feeling on his chest and the overly sweet smell were more than enough for him to know he'd been right and that it was, indeed, juice. The acid apple brand, to be precise. Not exactly his favorite choice, and especially not on his shirt.

Pleased laughter reached his ears, sounding almost like a snort, and he didn't need anything beside the tone to know it was his older step-sister Samantha. Apparently, she'd been eating some cereal while he and Alessa ran idiotically into each other. What was it with him and the bumping lately?

Next time, it might be a giant paper-shredder he'd be walking into.

He was already clammy and frustrated, so he sort of moaned miserably when his sister, on top spilling things all over him, started nagging at him. "Jaden! I just bought this." She said, pinching her soaked blouse like the action actually meant something more to him than the irksome pressure on his stomach. Guilt was a conniving little thing.

"Man..." His shoes seemed to have gotten the worse part of it all. "I don't even like apple juice." Alessa looked like she was about to explode at that.

"Shut up! How would I know you'd jump out of nowhere and crash into me?"

"I didn't jump out of nowhere!" He hated yelling at his sisters, so he lowered his tone a little after that and smirked playfully "Maybe you would've noticed that if you hadn't been so busy checking yourself out on the toaster." Her eyes grew wide and she blushed indignantly, quite mortified to find that her private habits were in fact well known around the house.

The sharp sound she made as she slammed the empty glass down on the counter increased his heart beat a little. Good, at least she didn't smash it into his head, 'cause even he could admit he deserved it.

They stayed like that, staring warily at one another until Sam's laughter cut through the tension on the room like a pair of scissors through fabric. It seemed like she was enjoying their argument a lot more than they were.

"Keep it down, you two. It's all so obvious." She dumped the bowl into the sink and walked apathetically out of the kitchen. "You're both morons." Although their eyes met in a whole different way than before the interruption, the expressions they were wearing were exactly the same.

Equally wide and mischievous smirks, so he gave it a shot and asked tentatively: "Truce?"

"Truce."

They ran after their oldest sister like a pair of bolts, the entire place quaking in riot and laughter and amused screams. Just like any other day in their home.

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Alright, so he was late for school again. What a shocker...

Still, despite it being a common scene on his regular life, this time he actually had some kind of hurry to get there as fast as possible. Not to mention he had something he really was looking forward to return.

Hence, one could only imagine his surprise when he recognized the black limo parked in front of the school gates. Or more specifically who it belonged to, seeing as said person was just getting out of it, same cocky attitude as ever. The taller teen stood there even after the large car had sped off, fumbling around with his earphones. He was dressed in this dark, grayish blue shirt that looked really good on him, surely wearing boots under his dark jeans.

They were both late, uh? Could life be any more perfect?

And just why the hell was he so excited about something like that?

He got closer and things started to get a little weird...well, weirder, because he was able to see Chazz' face better and he looked so strange, so different for some reason. Maybe the fact that he was smiling, (it was a tiny curling of lips but a smile nevertheless) had something to do with that, and he appeared to be much more rested and relaxed than he'd ever seen him, which was a lot to say, y'know, coming from him.

When he was about 3 meters of reaching him, Chazz noticed him approaching and shot him a sideways glance, his almost content expression vanished completely to give place to mild surprise, then changed back into the neutral, bored look he always sported, all in fraction of a second.

Inexplicably, his heart sort of shrank at the loss.

"Here." He said holding out the black jacket, and it was all he could do to keep himself form stuttering, or even blushing like a crushing school-girl, as it seemed to be the case here since he had a pretty intense pair of gray eyes on him at the moment. "Thanks." Chazz took the god-dammed jacket after that, rounding his gaze from it to Jaden every few seconds.

"Yeah, well next time don't stay out in the rain like a homeless nut-job, will you?" That comment drew a small grin out of him; however, what really did the trick in respect of making him blush was the fact that the black haired teen put it on right there and then, in the middle of a sunlit day with absolutely no hesitations. For an instant, the thought that perhaps it was because, on some subconscious level, he trusted him enough to know he'd taken care of it flashed through his mind and disappeared as soon as it hit home. It was too unlikely to be true.

They were barely more than strangers. Speaking of which...

It was now or never. He had to ask him his name.

"Uh, by the way, what's-"

"Jaden!" The brunette closed his eyes impatiently and lowered his head at the interruption; unsaid words left hanging from his tongue as he willed himself to not kill anyone. He loved the little guy, but Sy really had a terrible timing. His reaction to Chazz's presence was epically obvious: openly mistrusting fear. Great, now they were glaring at each other like sworn enemies.

Well, Syrus was glaring as convincingly as someone two steps from running away could, and Chazz was just staring down at him, completely unimpressed by the look he was receiving. It also seemed like he was considering whether beating the living crap out of the shorter one was worth it or not.

"You're late."

'_And you're way too early...'_

"Syrus, what are you doing out here? Shouldn't you be in class?" That bad choice of wording hurt him probably even more than they would hurt his friend, so he prayed for Sy to take it in the literal sense because he was honestly clueless about that.

Thankfully, he was too distracted to pick up the hidden meaning behind it.

"I had the first period off." He finally looked away from Chazz and focused on Jaden for a change.

Awkwardness was a dreadful thing, alright.

"Uh...this chat's been really stimulating and all, but I have to go now." When Chazz walked past him, he found himself wishing he could say something that would actually make him stay and howled internally.

When he walked past Syrus without giving him so much as a glance, he found himself wishing his friend had stayed home sick, and his soul wept for an entirely different reason.

* * *

So, the stupid midget had some guts after all, uh? Terrific; that would make bugging him a lot funnier.

Fooling teachers, especially female teachers, was practically a walk on the park for him. All he had to do was charm them with a smirk or compliment them, sometimes he just had to put on a puppy dog, innocent look and they would even let him dance on their desk. Therefore, he had no problems getting inside the classroom with his record still intact.

Like always, he sat down in the farthest empty seat and settled into his right-ankle-on-left-knee, slightly slouched position, doing his best to ignore the irksome weight of the 20 or so stares currently nailed on him. To think he'd have to put up with it for at least another 3 days...

He was still seeking the perfectly comfortable spot on his sit while Jaden and Syrus stumbled through the door, both wearing long, sour faces in anticipation of the punctuality scold he didn't have to hear. Watching them get their asses whipped...man, was that a refreshing sight.

Ah, where's the fucking camera when you need it?

The people waiting behind him at the line, they all groaned and glared holes into his back as he glided his gaze, _yet __again_, across the many 'meals_'_ this sad excuse for a school offered to the students. They really shouldn't hold their breath. Without some good ol' coffee on the 'menu', there were hardly any options left to choose from.

'_Three __down, __one __more __to __go. __Nothing __more. __Just __another __day __of __this __and __I__'__m __out...__' _

Slade had said it wouldn't take more than that, and he better keep his promise.

To his caffeine depraved mind, they all seemed the same. They all smelled and looked equally gross, so it didn't really matter which one he picked.

He just had to find the one that would sicken him the least.

Unadulterated satisfaction. That was the only way he would use to describe the sensation he felt when he got out of the line after not buying anything, and utterly perfect bliss when the bell rang a second after that.

It didn't come as a surprise to him. Bound to happen sooner or later. Why didn't that stop him from feeling like the biggest idiot ever?

Okay maybe he was a little lost. Completely normal. New people got lost all the time, right? It wasn't a big deal or anything. At least it was on the last period.

Precaution before all things, he made sure to only peek into classrooms from the back door; that way, no one would see him and possibly laugh at him for being such a loser. At the very end of the hallway, there was a slightly open door, the intermittent glows coming from inside caught his attention right away. The illumination kinda made him feel like he was in one of those standard terror movie scenes, when the protagonist is approaching the bad guy's lair with crappy, dramatic music whispering away in the background.

Once he was close enough, he could hear someone murmuring faintly in that breathless tone of someone who's thinking out loud and doesn't even know it.

He had his doubts about it all the way, but this imaginary-friend-talking loser could possibly point him in the right direction. Thus, he stepped inside and braced himself for whatever sight was awaiting from behind the door.

Everything was so structured and clean he was starting to feel a little dizzy, his mind wary as he examined the barely legible writing covering the wall. The meaningless symbols became really complex formulas if he looked closely. Apparently, the many white boards scattered around the room weren't enough for this lunatic.

One of the three large desks was occupied by several tubes filled with vibrant, colorful liquids; other was stuffed with graphics and blueprints that made absolutely no sense to him, and the last one held a lamp and piles of old looking, heavy books. Most of them weren't even written in English. German, French, Italian and Japanese were some of the languages he was able to make out.

Naturally, the first desk was the one that managed to magnetize his attention. Just as he was about to grab an emerald-colored tube, a deep, calm voice from behind startled him and made him turn around so quickly it was amazing he didn't trip on his feet.

"Mind your hands. It's a very powerful acid." The eyes that deflected his stony gaze were so similar to his own and still very different. Gray, narrow, profound, with different levels of intensity of course, but pretty much the same. "You must be new." They were about the same height, the angle of his jaw was sharp, his chin was square and manly and his dark hair was slicked back tidily, the tips ending in a rather odd, bolt-like shape.

Not that he had any say in oddly shaped hair or anything.

"Why, isn't that a brilliant deduction right there, Sherlock?" This guy, who by the way seemed to have no respect for personal space whatsoever, actually grinned at his comment and held out his hand in greeting, action that annoyed him even more than his British accent. What was it about the people in this school that appeared to be unfamiliar with the word sarcasm? Was he not nasty enough?

Reluctantly as hell, he returned the gesture. No way would he grin back, though.

"Nobody comes in here like that, so I figured..." The palm to palm contact felt like sand-paper to him, and the fingers that wrapped around his hand were shorter than his but exceptionally strong. "Anyway...I'm Bastion Misawa."

Strange last name for an English dude, he had to admit. "Chazz Princeton."

"Pleased to meet you."

"Yeah, yeah..." Oh, great. Another moment of pointless, unwanted befriending. Just what he got for being so damn social and nice...Back to the matter at hand. "I, uh...I'm...I'm kinda-"

"Lost?" Misawa offered helpfully with a sympathetic smile. "Yes, I can see that." He then glanced over his shoulder to check the clock hanging on the wall and winced a little. "You might as well forget about it." As if on cue, the stupid bell rang not long after he finished his statement.

Alright, this world had to be fucking kidding him. He so did not just spend a whole period walking aimlessly around that horrible school.

On the other hand, his legs _did_ throb and shake a bit. White spots danced in front of his eyes while Bastion went through some papers and kept blabbering on and on, probably convinced he was in the slightest interested in making small-talk. "There's so much work to do and I haven't even started yet."

Wait, what? "Ah-ha...You realize school's over, don't you?" Translation: _Why __would __you __want __to __stay __in __this __hell-hole __more __than __you __need __to?_

"I'm aware." Clearly another mental case.

'_Must __be __the __water..._'

"And you're just gonna stay here and wait for them to lock you in 'till tomorrow morning?" There. That had to be enough for this guy to understand how outrageously irrational he sounded.

"They allow me to stay until I'm done." He stopped after that because this was getting him nowhere. Talking to brick walls wasn't that much of his thing. He was about to turn and leave when Bastion pulled a soldering pen along with a protective mask from a shelf and began to mold some kind of chip into a carved piece of metal.

Oooh, he definitely had to try that someday in the future. Not precisely with the same purpose. Slade could use a tattoo now that he thought about it. "Science project?"

"No." Naturally...

"Your parents pressure you to find the cure for cancer or something?" That was the only explanation left for this overworking lunatic.

"I don't think anyone could be capable of doing such thing to their children." The kid surely was neatly spoken. Then again, so were all antisocial, smart-assed geeks. (1)

"Ha. You'd be surprised." He adverted his gaze at that, if only momentarily, and turned back to the other with a baffled frown. "Then why the hell are you here? Unless you're developing a way to turn sand into gold or some shit like that, I don't see why you'd like to stay here all the time by yourself."

"As a matter of fact, I think someone cracked that one up already."

His eyes almost bulged out at that one. "Really?"

Bastion _fucking_ Misawasmiled...no, scratch that. The sucker actually smirked at him in this proud, triumphant way only he was allowed to pull off in his opinion, and said_,_"No. You're very naive, did you know that?"

—

The fact that this prick treated him like he wouldn't recognize sarcasm even if it came up to him and decked him across the face was starting to bit away at his patience. So, he bit back. Well, not literally, but you know...

He kind of had been expecting him to gasp like an offended little girl, only he did not. Appearances could be quite deceiving. Instead of reacting angrily, the pretty boy standing in front of him blinked once...twice, and smirked back widely. "I like you."

As soon as he heard those three words and the tension layers were sucked out of the room in a bright rush, he found himself yelling _**Finally**_ in his head rather loudly, if that made any sense.

Finally someone with promise had decided to walk through his door just to show him that perhaps it hadn't been all in vain to believe it would happen someday.

* * *

Chazz didn't show up for class and for some (almost) incomprehensible reason for him, his stomach knotted up painfully every time the teacher had said Chazz's name without receiving a response. At first, he was completely convinced it was worry, had an uncanny, unshakable faith about it that felt too strong to be authentic. Then, he blamed it on the guilt that still ribboned his chest to shards for being such a terrible friend. Hunger was the next one on the list of possibilities.

Uncertainty had managed to seep in and now he didn't know what to think anymore. Wasn't even so sure of his very own name, to be exact.

'_Jaden Yuki...My name's Jaden Yuki...'_

He stayed behind after the bell rang and told Sy to go ahead and not wait for him because he had something to take care of, his favorite excuse as it seemed lately. Syrus' expression faltered slightly at the petition, but he'd said goodbye and left anyway. Another thing he'd have to deal with later on.

The hallway was empty, emptier than he had ever seen it and it made him feel a little out of place. Like a tiny hole rips wider and wider until it is ten times bigger, his doubts kept growing inside him thanks to that. 'Cause seriously, how much of a stalker did that make him?

His black-haired friend-or-whatever was free to miss all of his classes if he wanted to. It was absolutely none of his business.

But what if he was in trouble? What if something happened to him?

More importantly, why was he looking for him inside the school? For all he knew, the guy was most likely sitting on his limo on his way home and there he was, walking around the hallways like a mad person. Maybe he _was_ insane and didn't even know it.

Wondering if he was crazy or not was definitely one of the worst feelings he could think of.

And just when his world was caving in on itself disastrously, he saw _him_ coming out of Bastion's door wearing a small crooked grin, coming across as cool as a freaking cucumber like always while he was considering banging his head against the wall like, again, the mad person he probably was.

The look the taller teenager gave him when he spotted him made Jaden want to wince, run and evaporate completely from existence, all at once. He smirked knowingly. "And I'm the stalker?"

Man, did he love the fact that Chazz was walking towards him, still smirking and looking all good and whatnot. "Shut up." His attempt at a glare was so miserable and empty it caused the other to grin even wider. "I, uh, I came to ask Bastion something."

"You know him?"

"Yeah, he helped me with an assignment once and...well...it was hell." He laughed briefly at the memory, shaking his head dismissively. "For him, of course. He's a nice guy."

He could've sworn those dark eyes lit up slightly at his comment, if only a little. "Right..." The whole stupefying daydream effect was crushed when Chazz simply walked past him without another word.

"Wait." He didn't actually think the other would listen, and when saw him was standing there, waiting, he discovered he really had nothing to say.

"What?" If Chazz's tone hadn't had an annoyed edge to it, he would've laughed.

A serene smile danced on his eyes while he started explaining himself. "You always leave without saying your name. Why?"

Well, that one would definitely buy him some time. He actually felt rather dumb for asking a name he already knew, but admitting that would most likely freak Chazz out and only make things harder for him. Why he wanted to befriend **him** of all people was a query he still was seeking an answer for.

The taller one seemed to ponder his question for a second, and then turned back to him, wearing the same cynical expression. If he had thought the sideways smirk was as fitting as it was charming, then it was only understandable for his gut to fold into itself when the dark-haired teenager raised one eyebrow in puzzlement, displaying a cute curious face.

"I don't know, it kinda makes me look mysterious, don't you think?" He chuckled again, in that husky tone that made Jaden wonder if a person had ever died of hearing someone else's laughter. It was gone just as quick as it came, leaving behind something that dangerously resembled a smile; though a tired and somewhat wary one, it was a smile nevertheless. "Why are you so interested in knowing my name, anyway? It's not like we're gonna be friends or anything..."

One harsh, restraining sigh and he quickly changed his mind.

The other waved his hand dismissively. "Okay, fine. I'm Chazz Princeton, but don't get any ideas."

In a blink of an eye, a warm hand was wrapped around his own icy, wounded one. He winced a little, not out of pain but because of the electric sparks that oozed from their handshake and spread up his arm like fire; he got goose bumps, and he was sure the chocolate eyed teen felt that as well since he could feel his limb trembling faintly through the grip they still held on each other.

"I'm Jaden Yuki." The handshake certainly was strange, and it didn't last as long as neither had wanted; Chazz yanked his hand back softly, like it had been resting on a place that was heating up too fast and he had to remove it before he burned himself.

A voice yelled distantly at him from somewhere deep inside one of the far away alleys of his mind, the tone barely more than a mere insinuation. '_Too __late..._'

* * *

Whereas Slade Princeton was a very offhand and collected man, he could become a super massive typhoon of anger in a tick, quick like the strike of a match, and his fury would be devastating to everyone and anything within a radius of 2 or three miles.

So when the doorbell ringed while he was taking the first sip on his steaming cappuccino after dealing with yet another crisis his useless employees weren't able to fix, the earth beneath his chair quivered in anticipation. He let it ring again, just to prove his suspicions, and nobody answered. Yes, Beatrix was certainly not around for the day.

If that wasn't his assistant behind that door holding in her arms a basket full of French bread and cheese and the successfulness of the deal on the tip of her tongue, he would have to rub 'breakfast' and 'Morning meeting' out of his schedule and fill 'Bloody murder' and 'Corpse hiding' in their place.

His eyes widened and the shout lodged in his throat fell to his feet along with his blood when he recognized the man standing in front of him instead of the pretty brunette he'd been looking forward to find. "Yeah, I've been expecting you. I can't say I'm in the least pleased to see you, though."

He hardened his gaze and stood tall and firm in the doorframe, looking down at the last person he wanted to deal with at the moment. "He's not here."

(End of Chapter 7)

* * *

No comments on this one. I didn't even like it. Haha...

(1) Yes, I'm neatly spoken. I just kinda have a thing for insulting myself.


	8. Peace Of Mind

**Authoress****' ****Note:** As promised, here's the eight chapter of this thing. See, I told ya I was quick. I'm just a really, really busy and lazy person.

**Summary:**(AU fic) When you suddenly find your life shattered, you learn that love can be found in the most unpredictable places. Takes place through their last year of high school, so if you're looking for a Duel monsters story, this is not for you. ChazzJaden

**Pairings:**Mostly ChazzJaden and one-sided JadenAster, a bit of JesseJaden, but there'll be other pairings as well...

**Warning:** No warnings for this chapter. Only Chazz and his dirty, pretty mouth.

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu Gi Oh GX.

The title came from Boston's 'Peace of Mind' and the one Chazz plays on the piano is 'Always', from Bon Jovi. God, do I love those two songs. If you don't know them, go listen to them you poor, unfortunate soul.

* * *

Chapter 8  
"**Peace of Mind"**

Even though insomnia was chomping away at his sanity ferociously and he was tired beyond belief, both mentally and physically, he was simply unable to catch a wink of sleep that night. No matter how much he just wished to close his eyes and be stone-dead for the world for a couple of hours. Therefore, he kind of ended up wandering around that enormous house like a restless ghost.

Accompanied only by his shadow and a cup of coffee, he walked down a never-ending corridor, desperately wanting to believe it was nothing more than an aimless trip but knowing his destination all along.

The door felt ice-cold beneath his palm, and when he finally mustered enough courage to push past it and step inside, he didn't bother turning on the lights. Darkness seemed to be more fitting.

The chain of ivory and ebony teeth that spread out before him shone brilliantly in the faint light that managed to seep in through the windows; his eyes lit up and his fingers twitched in anticipation. He took a lengthy savoring sip and set the cup on the long chair he sat on, right besides his thigh.

Sitting there as he did, that old piano didn't look that intimidating. Not the way it used to on the day he took his first lesson from his mother. Still, with her by his side, there was nothing he couldn't do.

It was amazing to notice how much he'd learned since then. His hands didn't bump into each other anymore, and the notes his mind used to struggle with came out now as easy as words breathed out in a state of deep thought.

He didn't think that much about what he wanted to play, he began with Home Sweet Home's intro, if only for kicks. Many other songs went by until he found one he really liked. Reminiscence of some sort became too overwhelming for a moment, making him struggle a little with the sequence of notes. After the first 5, the rest was easy as pie. Lyrics joined the notes after a while.

**This Romeo is bleeding, but you can't see his blood.  
It's nothing but some feelings that this old dog kicked up.**

His last day in that school was only a few hours away, he hadn't slept in more than 24 and yet here he was, drinking coffee and playing the piano at 5 in the morning. It was kinda funny, wasn't it? In a twisted, sleep-deprived kind of way, of course.

**It's been raining since you left me,  
Now I'm drowning in the flood.  
You see I've always been a fighter,  
But without you, I give up.**

The whole transferring thing had to be taken care of by now, knowing Slade, but the fact that he hadn't said anything about it so far was starting to worry him. Hell, he barely opened his mouth now that he thought about it, too busy acting all weird and whatnot.

**I can't sing a love song like the way it's meant to be.  
Well I guess I'm not that good anymore,  
But maybe that's just me.**

He definitely had to go back to that place — the one near that stupid school — for some more coffee. It was delicious and the muffins were awesome. Everything tasted good and pricey, though he couldn't for the life of him remember if it had been, in fact, expensive or not. Must've been.

**I will love you, always.  
And I'll be there forever and a day, always.  
I'll be there 'till the stars don't shine,  
**'**Till the heaven's burst and the words don't rhyme.  
I know when I die you'll be on my mind,  
And I'll love you, always.**

He had been unfocused that day, so it really didn't come as a surprise. Besides, running into the same annoying person twice in a day could be very distracting, especially if said person stares at you with big, innocent brown eyes that are actually hypnotizing spirals in a disguise or something like that.

**Well, there ain't no luck in this loaded dice.  
But baby if you give me just one more try,  
We can pack up our old dreams and our old lives,  
And find a place where the sun still shines.**

Anyway, if the next school wasn't decent enough, he was going to kill Slade. No question about that. Wait...what the hell was he thinking? Of course it would be better! It had to! He was just nervous about making new friends; that was all.

**I will love you, always.  
And I'll be there forever and a day, always.  
I'll be there 'till the stars don't shine,  
**'**Till the heavens burst and the words don't rhyme.  
I know when I die you'll be on my mind,  
And I'll love you, always.**

Somehow, it all kept coming back to the whole transferring thing, over and over and over again in his head.

Ah, depression could kiss his pale ass, for all he cared. He was too busy for deal that.

* * *

How did it come to this? That was the only question he could afford because seriously, how in the bloody hell did it all come to this? One second, he was calmly boring himself out of his skull, and the next he was sitting next to Jaden Yuki in the freaking detention room. On top of it all, it seemed they were the only ones stuck in detention.

And saying it was all the slacker's fault was truly unnecessary. Then again, he liked reassurance, so... "This is all your fault."

"_You_ threw a book at _**me**_!" Heh, he had really enjoyed doing that. "How is it my fault, you jerk?"

"Aw, stop it. My heart's too fragile for your hurtful insults." The brunette fixed him with a glare that made him smirk that much more proudly. "Besides, you started the whole throwing stuff thing. And when I finally joined in it, you just had to squeal like a little bitch and catch the teacher's attention, didn't you?"

The 'little bitch' looked like he was about to pounce him out of frustration. Not exactly the kind you'd think. _'Ha, I'm so funny...'_

"I threw two paper balls at you." He held one up for him to examine, like he was unsure whether Chazz had ever seen one before in his life. "Paper balls, not books! Don't know if you noticed, but there's a huge difference."

"It doesn't matter! We're still stuck here." Period. End of the argument. Slade was going to kill him for being so late. "I should be at home right now, not here with you." He dipped one hand into his bag, pulling out his iPod and earphones and maybe another book. Y'know, just in case.

_"Look at me, I'm Chazz Princeton." _The mention of his name made him turn to glance at the chocolate-eyed teen; apparently, he was mimicking him using a hairless, sad looking puppet. Where the heck he got it from, only God would know. _"I like being mean and throwing books at nice people who just want to befriend me." _Damned batteries! They couldn't be dead, not now! _"I wear earphones to muffle the sound of my dark, dark thoughts."_

He clutched the black device to his forehead and closed his eyes tightly, poisonous truth in his words. "If you appreciate in the least your ability to speak, you'll stop talking. Right. **Now**."

Regardless of how hostile he sounded, Jaden was still the same dumb son of a bitch, and he was definitely dumb enough to ignore his warnings."_If you appreciate in the least your_ blah, blah, blah..." The brunette repeated his words in this girly, stupid voice, waving the puppets arms up and down like a tantrum.

He saw red.

Alright, that was it! This idiot was going down. He tried to lunge across the small space between them to claw the other's eyes out, but someone grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and yanked him back into place.

Hellfire dancing in his eyes, he turned around, and sank back into his hair when he saw John frowning down at him wearily. "Not on my watch, kiddo."

They stared heatedly at each other for a extended instant before he crossed his arms and slouched all over his seat. "Fine..." He hissed, glancing down at the ground. "Just keep him quiet and I'll _try_ not to murder him."

John pinched the bridge of his nose and held up his palm dismissively. "Be quiet, Princeton." Of all things, the guy started sort of pace in front of them sternly. "Now, you two are the only ones staying here for detention today, and it's because of you that I can't go home and have dinner just yet, so..." He leaned down closely between them and rounded his hard gaze from one to the other intermittently. "One more fight and so help me God, I will strap you to the back of my car like a pair of cans and then drive home, speeding like a mad man. Got it?"

"Okay." They croaked out lowly at the same time. Neither of them had ever seen a teacher get this angry, and they weren't about to test the honesty in his threat.

For some scarily irrational reason, they both believed every single one of his words.

"Good. I'm going to get some coffee and grab something to eat. Think about what you did and come to a mutual agreement like human beings. You're staying here until I see some repentance." Unwillingly, they both stared at each other at John's suggestion.

Firework-kinda-sparks flew all over the place and their pounding hearts shrank earnestly. They looked away a second after that.

Stupid dork. He was about to tell John that talking civilly was an impossible task with this moron and that he could, in other words, fuck off, and gaped mindlessly when he found the spot he'd been standing at empty.

Sneaky bastard...

* * *

Hey, he might be the kind of teacher that stays with the detention cases, but he sure as hell wasn't stupid. He recognized a mutual crush as soon as he saw it, and Chazz and Jaden here were headfirst, so-stupidly-sad-it-hurt-to-watch crazy for each other. Hell, he wasn't even sure industrial magnets had that kind of attraction.

Maybe he was a sick freak and he mistaking some kind of wickedly twisted friendship for something else entirely different. Or maybe, just maybe, he was older and wiser and thus, seeing the very real thing.

On the other hand, it wasn't that hard to notice. Not because they acted like it or anything; it was pretty much the opposite.

It was simply there. In the unconscious actions and furtive glances. Those two had a lot more chemistry than all Bastion Misawa's formulas and theories put together.

And if Chazz didn't see the way Jaden stared at him sometimes, he was seriously damaged.

* * *

Three hours of awkward silence later and his head almost vibrated with static and dullness. Even if he was bored out of his mind, _again_, at least he wasn't losing it like Jaden, who was slumped lazily all over his seat playing with another two sock puppets. It seemed this kid could produce freaking puppets out of thin air. Really ugly ones, if he was allowed any raw honesty.

_"Good afternoon, Miss. Your hair looks very pretty today. Did you sew it yourself?"_ He was making a different voice for each puppet, much to his annoyance. The brunet's chin was resting on his desk, causing his words to come out slurred and droopy, and his lids were barely open, only showing mere slits of brilliant chocolate orbs.

_"Yes, I'm glad you noticed, Sir. After all, yarn is the new black."_ His jokes might be silly as hell, but he had to confess it was kinda cute. If only a little.

Almost nothing. "Quit it before I take those stupid puppets and feed them to you." Jaden did stopped talking and moving all together at his comment, which surprised him.

His facade was practically the same as he glanced at Chazz out of the corner of his eye; he finally dropped his arms and buried his face into them jadedly. "Fine! Mr. Cranky pants..."

Ignoring the childish insult, Chazz took advantage of his distraction to smile at him. Good thing no one was looking because he couldn't help the sad edge. "No, I just like it when people hate me."

And then, unpredictable as ever, the other raised his head to stare at him, missing his former expression only by a split-fucking-second. "Well, I don't hate you." When he gawked at him incredulously, he added, shrugging a bit. "You can be a real Grinch sometimes, yeah, but I don't hate you."

Again with the lame, kindergarten-bully insults."Oh, come on." He had to be kidding. That was simply impossible. "Admit it, you hate me."

"I don't." The other said unwaveringly, pure, selfless sincerity shinning on his narrowed, studying gaze. The instant those soul-searching caramel eyes dived into his, he was lost. No matter how hard he tried to get his mind back to work properly, he just couldn't.

Still, despite the seriousness of the moment and the lack of coherent response from his brain, Chazz puffed a breathless chuckle.

"This is incredible..." There was a disbelieving expression hiding behind his amusement.

"What?" Jaden seemed awfully confused, and rightly so. He wasn't exactly making a lot of sense here.

The black haired teen blinked slowly, nailing his eyes even deeper into the brunet's. "I actually believe you."

Intense didn't even come close to describing the way they were staring at each other. Not in the slightest, and he could almost swear he was becoming ice-numb to everything around him. That if the world happened to crash into itself right now, he wouldn't be able to notice.

Or perhaps even be concerned. Anything else besides the incandescent fire burning out from within those chocolate orbs was hardly relevant.

"Alright, it seems like you've done your homework, boys." John's voice cut through the air and snapped them out of their reveries. At first, it sort of felt like he was speaking in an ancient, foreign language, catching them off guard or something 'cause his words were having a tough time trying to sink in. "Here you are, talking like civilized people." The man took a huge, crunchy bite from his sandwich and carried on, beaming down at them cheerfully. "Damn, I'm proud."

Neither said anything. They were both ethereally speechless, in fact.

"That's all for today." The four-worded-dismissal that always made everyone run off didn't so much as trigger a reaction from the two teenagers sitting in front of him. It kinda worried him, but he tried again nonetheless. "You can go now." He held out his arm at the door helpfully.

This time around, Chazz and Jaden started packing their stuff and got up stiffly. With a pair of muttered _'__thanks__'_, they left.

Those two came into that classroom bickering and pouting like children and walked out expressing their gratitude. Man, was he a good teacher or what?

—

He was starting to believe he had never known the meaning of the word awkward. Not until that second. "So, uh...see you tomorrow."

"Actually, I'm getting transferred." The sinking feeling on his gut when he said that was freaking epic. Like a horse-kick on the stomach, only more painful and aggressive. And if he'd thought that was the worst part, he was unable to so much as think of a word to classify the emotion that shook his whole body down to a pile of Jell-o when Chazz added in a dreadfully quiet voice. "This was my last day here."

"Oh..." Why did his chest feel so horribly thorny every time he breathed? "Well, I..." He looked down at the ground like all the answers were written in it with bold, flashy letters. "I guess I'll see you around, then. You know, if you stop by for some coffee." The laughter he let out after that was such a sad attempt of a joyful one, so pathetic it was heartbreaking. To him at least.

"Yeah, I will. It was delicious, by the way." His blood was too busy dropping to his feet to gather on his cheeks long enough to make him blush at the compliment, a dead-cold smile the only response he could afford giving.

"Thanks..." They gazed at each other almost longingly for a long time before Chazz held out his hand, intent on shaking his for the last time. Naturally, that last thought stabbed him deep for as long as the voice of reality buzzed in his head in this disastrously melodic way.

_This can't be the last time, _he though miserably. _It just can't._

Jaden grabbed the offered hand, but instead of shaking it, he covered it with his other one and pressed it in between his warmly — tremblingly. "Take care, Chazz."

* * *

As much as Slade had wanted to talk with him that night, probably to lecture him for being an irresponsible little punk, he was completely spent and absent-minded to put up with his crap. Didn't even hear the man when he addressed him on his way in. He was _that_ out of it.

Everything his oldest brother might say would bounce off his currently deaf mind, so instead of dealing with his sibling's parental temper, he went straight to his room and locked the door behind him, his temples pounding and his brain working overtime; getting stuck over the same binding thoughts of nostalgia and yearning for something utterly unnamed and God, did his bed ever feel this good and comfortable.

He almost couldn't believe he'd gone through the day with his sanity perfectly intact. Well, more or less intact. Still, mission accomplished, right? Except, why did it taste so much like failure to him?

Why did it feel like a loss instead of a triumph?

Many images of the day flashed past his eyes; he saw John's faltering smirk and his mild gaze when he told him he could be relaxed again because he wasn't coming back the next day. That he merely returned to say goodbye.

And then he saw Jaden, could feel his own anger and frustration and misery at all of the mental pictures of them together.

The last one overcame him, strangely, just as his mind rounded over the memory of his and Jaden's farewell. He had been so inexplicably sad to say something nasty. He even held out his hand first! How bizarre was that? No matter how hard he squinted his eyes shut, the image of those melted-chocolate eyes growing dark and sad and hollow all at once the freaking instant he brought up the entire transferring deal, it never left.

It all went on and on until he couldn't bear it anymore and practically ran downstairs to grab something to eat.

He was having cereal for dinner when Slade and Jagger sat down across from him on the counter, both of them sharing the same humble expression. Then again, he was too distracted to notice that, wasn't he?

"Chazz, we need to talk." His oldest brother began quietly, carrying on after he received no response. "This probably won't come as a surprise to you, but-"

"What about my whole transferring thing...Did you take care of it already?" Slade blinked when his youngest sibling interrupted him out of the blue and started talking like he didn't even hear him speak in the first place. He probably didn't, judging by the lost, pensive look on his face.

"Uh..." He didn't understand what his brother meant at first, and the moment he did, he stumbled over his words slightly. "Oh, yes, it is done."

If he didn't know any better, he'd say Chazz almost looked disheartened and regretful at his affirmation.

Not precisely a common thing around him, so the older man felt the need to ask, "Why? Is something wrong? We can keep looking for a better school, if you're not sure about the new one."

Chazz raised an eyebrow mentally. Now he was sure something was horribly wrong because Slade was never this pleasing. Never pleasing, at all. "Yeah, about that..." He averted his brother's gaze and played a little with his spoon nervously, a small smile toying with the corner of his lips.

Interesting. It seemed he had reached a turning point right there. It was a do or die thing.

A moment where he needed to choose whether he wanted to jump and risk everything or take a safe step back and risk nothing. Whatever he was risking here, though, he had no idea.

And since he was the stupidest bastard ever, he chose to dive head-first into a pitch-black darkness. "I don't think that'll be necessary."

* * *

The clock was beginning to tick away at his patience slowly but surely, he was gripping the edges of his desk so tightly he was squeezing the blood out of his knuckles and damn, he had never looked forward to working as much that precise moment.

His mind was spinning unbearably alongside the arms of time, reeling numbly and it made him wonder why exactly he even bothered. How could he be so blindly convinced that he and Chazz were supposed to meet ever again? For all he knew, he had only said that out of courtesy; to make him feel better, at least for a little while.

Why did he let that kind of opportunity pass him by? Why didn't he say something else? Anything that might have changed the fact that they probably had just seen each other for the last time and why was he so stupid?

He had the terrible feeling he was doomed to wonder that until the end of time.

But then he appeared in the doorway, staring around searchingly before his eyes settled on him and he smirked, nothing short of a smile, in a way that screamed _Surprise_ like it was all a god-dammed secret party and the jerk standing there was simply his most-desired wish come true.

(End of Chapter 8)

* * *

Yes, I changed some lyrics. I kinda have a problem with the word _baby_.


	9. Round And Round

**Authoress****' ****Note:** Damn, I'm fast...

**Summary:**(AU fic) When you suddenly find your life shattered, you learn that love can be found in the most unpredictable places. Takes place through their last year of high school, so if you're looking for a Duel monsters story, this is not for you. ChazzJaden

**Pairings:**Mostly ChazzJaden and one-sided JadenAster, a bit of JesseJaden, but there'll be other pairings as well...

**Warning:** No warnings for this chapter. Only Chazz and his dirty, pretty mouth.

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu Gi Oh GX.

Amazing song for the title, don't ya think? Ratt's pure awesomeness.

* * *

Chapter 9  
"**Round and Round"**

Ah, he was beginning to think he had supernatural fortune-teller abilities 'cause it all turned out to be just what he had predicted.

The most stupid, unbelievably unintelligent move ever, to put it bluntly. The days seemed to pretty much skate by his sight for the lack of a noticeable event. Every day was practically the same. He spent most of his time with Bastion.

Well, his free time, because a pair of dorks always followed him around like he was the leader of their loser gang or something. It was quite depressing, being around ass-kissing people who had nothing particularly interesting to say.

Thus, he secretly cherished the hours he spent around Bastion more than anything. He bumped into Jaden every now and then, but since he was at all times escorted by the cheeky smurf who glared daggers at him whenever he saw him, their conversation leaned further towards the teasing, sarcastic nature every time. Not that he'd have it any other way, of course.

Fitted perfectly with his jerky-self. The brunet never really seemed to mind, so he focused more on Syrus. He simply loved making him go beet-red with anger. Could never top that, even if he tried.

He was currently sitting on one of the benches in the cafeteria, trying to shove the terrible food down his throat when someone tapped his shoulder hesitantly. Seeing as there weren't many people in that school that would actually be that foolishly brave and dare touching him, he turned back with a name in mind and relatively impolite lost of words on the tip of his tongue, starting with the universal, "What?"

Standing behind him was this dude dressed in beige, a silly cap and he looked like a deliverer to him. "Chazz Princeton?"

Bingo. Damn, he was good. _'Psychic powers, I'm telling you!'_ "Yeah, what is it?"

"This is for you." The guy handed him a white box with a paper cord wrapped around it in a shoe-string knot. "Sign in here, please." A board and a pen were pushed into his face without warning. He took it swiftly using his free hand, not before shooting the man a quick glare, obviously.

"Who's it from?" If only for confirmation, he peeked at the package, even turned it over, finding no tag or address or anything for that matter.

The man pulled a notebook out of his shirt pocket and read it neutrally, fast as lighting. "Doesn't say."

"Right..." Whatever happened to work-efficacy...He rolled his eyes and returned the board crossly. "Thanks." He didn't even look up again to see if the man was gone or not before he focused entirely on the box.

Okay, so what the hell was this? He was just going to untie it and see for himself when Jaden suddenly plopped down beside him and smiled brightly. "Hi Chazz! Can I sit here? Hey, what's that? Is it a present for me? Can I see it? Are you going to eat that?"

The black haired teen merely sighed, eerily used to the other's attitude, and leaned forward to pin his hard stare into the brunet's. "I'd rather not, that's none of your concern, no, like hell you can, unfortunately and GET LOST!"

Chazz could've screamed right then and there because he really was being super nasty and yet the idiot sitting next to him laughed merrily and smiled even wider. "You're so funny."

Did he even have a _freaking_ BRAIN?!

—

"You still haven't opened it?" Bastion frowned slightly at his own question, eyeing the cardboard box on Chazz's arms, clearly as puzzled as he was.

"Yeah well I was about to but..." Movement from his peripheral vision caught his attention, his words instantly lost in the air when he recognized who it was.

"Hey guys, how's it goin'?" Jaden and Bastion grinned slightly at each other and if he had to take a guess, he'd definitely go for politeness. It confused him a little since neither seemed like the type of person that would avoid an opportunity to gain a new friend. But then he remembered what the cinnamon eyed one told him the day he met the lab-geek standing next to him.

_"He helped me with an assignment once and...well...it was hell. For him, of course. He's a nice guy."_

That explained a lot, in his opinion.

Even though the bell screeched above their heads unexpectedly, none of them flinched. Bastion was the first one to react, however, his voice carrying the leftovers of raw awkwardness. "I have to go now. Later." No sooner had he said that, the British boy was walking away from them hurriedly.

The brunet followed suit. "Yeah, Gab'll kill me if I'm late for work again." He dropped his gaze to the floor, adding quietly before leaving, "Bye, Chazz."

* * *

The place was relatively crowded, the sound of a dozen conversations hummed vividly in his ears and dammit, he just couldn't bring himself to focus on his job; couldn't stop thinking about that day.

About his grumpy classmate or the way things between them were starting to feel less and less clumsy and unfamiliar. It sort of felt like they were starting to bond to him, etching some sort of trust and easiness around themselves and their relationship, whatever it would be called. But then there was the whole Bastion thing.

He liked the guy. He really did, even if he could be a little aloof sometimes. Still, he and the grumpy teen seemed to get along just fine.

Speaking of which...

Seeing at them together made Jaden notice something odd. They both were taller than average, had dark hair and grey eyes. They kinda looked alike, only he knew they didn't. Because even if they shared some attributes, those features paled down when viewed closely. Like the way Bastion's hair was slightly grayish while Chazz's was a very unique pitch black.

And their eyes couldn't be any more different. Whereas Bastion's were larger, darker and mindful, Chazz's gaze was endless and ages old.

"Jaden!" Gab's voice startled him; she had a thing for scaring him, he realized a long time ago. "Snap out of it, buddy!" She patted his back energetically and yanked him by the waist to place him in front of the counter, with a line of impatient people glaring at him from the other side.

He sighed and got back to work.

* * *

Slade and Jagger were chilling idly in the living room, sipping on their coffees while they went through some papers. Well, that was before he walked in and dropped the burden he'd been hauling along the entire day for no good reason onto of the short oak table. Hell, he didn't even know what was waiting for him inside.

He did know one thing, though. "Alright, you two..." His brothers definitely had something to do about it. "What's the meaning of this?" Stupid, arrogant assholes. Oh, if he could only murder them without going to jail and why the fuck were they staring at him like he was insane?

"Uh, I think it's called a box, Chazz." Like always, Jagger started fooling around with him, making stupid little jokes when he was two words from breaking his skull with a chair.

Instead, he narrowed his eyes and smiled sarcastically. "Very funny. Watch me laugh my ass off. You think I had a blast carrying this thing around school the whole freaking day? Did you really have to send it there?"

But at his words, his brother's smirk disappeared in a way that made his own expression, as well as his heated stand falter devastatingly. "I don't know what you're talking about, Chazz."

"What-you-but I..." He stuttered dazedly, his gaze rocketing all over the room.

And then, three pairs of gray eyes came to rest on the white box sitting innocently on the coffee table.

"You didn't send this?" As soon as that rather rhetorical question slithered between his lips, he crashed down to his knees before the untouched package. He tugged the knot open and took the top off slowly, almost like he was afraid it'd go off if he wasn't very careful. Bracing himself firmly first, he peeked into it.

A messy pile of pictures and papers and folders stared back at him from inside, some in faded color and others in black-and-white, all of them sort of yellowish and old-looking. He grasped one with shaky, sweaty hands to examine it closely and almost fell back when he recognized exactly who he was seeing in that photo.

It was undoubtedly a picture of his parents, on the day of their wedding, both of them smiling and gleaming and appearing so alive it broke his heart to see.

"I hadn't seen that photograph in years." Slade's tone was infinitely bewildered and amazed as he peeked at the portrait in his hands.

"They look so...young." Chazz found himself whispering absentmindedly, unaware of his own words until his oldest brother replied to his comment.

"Yeah, they were, what..." He glanced at Jagger for remembrance support. "...19?"

"What?! _I'm_ almost 19! What the hell were they thinking?" His hand dipped inside the box to grab a bunch of photos completely on its own. He had always believed his mother to be one of the most beautiful women he'd ever seen, but getting to see how she looked like on her youth completely stole the breath out of his lungs.

She was so gorgeous she even glowed. His father's face didn't seem to change that much over the years. It wore less lines, but the eyes were exactly the same.

"Well, it seems they didmake the right choice after all, doesn't it?" It was bizarre, but he had a point. "Wow..." His brother held up a ripped-out notebook page with fold wrinkles all over and stared at it like he had never seen a paper sheet before in his life.

"What is it?"

"It's an old report I did about airplanes when I was in fourth grade. I can't believe they kept this. Aw, look at that...Dad was a skinny little thing." Slade's cheek was suddenly attached to his temple, his voice playful when he said, "Which means there's still some hope left for you, Chazz."

"Shut up. Aren't you forgetting something?" He lifted his arms and threw them in the direction of the box in an anxious, stating-the-facts fashion. "We don't know who sent this, you jackass."

"I think I have an idea of who did it..." Youngest and oldest turned to their middle brother sharply at that. Jagger was frowning slightly down at the paper in his hands before Chazz snatched it from his fingers and ran his eyes over it. It was a letter, written in what he was sure to be his mother's handwriting. Once that realization crossed his mind, he began to read it out loud.

_"Dear Boys:_

_Here are some of the good memories that your father and I gathered throughout our lives. Leaving behind a greater inheritance than money was something we both decided to do the very day we held our first son in our arms. Since neither of us had any siblings or anyone else that might carry on with our legacy, you have the opportunity to pass these possessions down to your children and continue as only the second generation if you wish to do so. These things belong to you now._

_Please, look after each other. Love each other. You three are all you have now._

_Ps. Slade and Jagger: I know you will understand our decision as soon as you learn about it; if you haven't already. After all, I raised you both myself with all the humanly possible love."_

He was able to perceive the way his brothers kinda fidgeted in their seats a little at the last part. His voice was wrecked and rough when asked brokenly, "What is that supposed to mean, what decision?" Neither answered, so he tried again, louder this time. "What decision?"

"We're not sure..." Slade was the first one to reply.

"And if this letter is addressed for all of us, why did I get it? Shouldn't they have sent it here?"

"I don't know, Chazz." That was the last thing he said, ending the conversation firmly, like he was hoping that would be enough for him to believe in his words.

But he definitely knew better than to trust a politician...

* * *

The first thing Jaden noticed the next day was Chazz distant attitude. His mind seemed to be miles and miles away from the place where his body sat dully, and he was eerily sure he wouldn't even notice if someone punched him right in the face right now; probably would just scratch his cheek and continue brooding.

He was about to ask him what was wrong when Syrus plopped down beside him, his hair and shoulders completely covered in what appeared to be flour and eggs, his own eyes almost bulging out at the sight. "What in the world happened to you?"

"Some guys decided it'd be fun to make me into a giant omelet, that's what!" He said indignantly, waving his arms up and down. Some of that yellow goo fell on his plate and he was suddenly not that hungry.

"What? I don't believe it!" The brunette straightened up and looked around the cafeteria, an impossible, angry expression on his eyes.

No one messed with his friend and got away with it.

And then and only then, Chazz finally said something. "It's not _that_ hard to believe. I mean look at you; you're practically asking for it." All Jaden could do was laugh nervously at Sy's ready-to-blow-up face.

Okay, maybe Chazz wasn't that absent, after all.

* * *

During the last period, he simply couldn't bear the way all those questions bounced back and forth in his head anymore and asked for permission to go to the restrooms, in desperate needed for some peace and quiet. Even though it was totally empty, he got into the first booth he saw and locked himself in.

Sure, it made him feel like a self-conscious, depressed chick but at the second he found himself utterly uncaring of that fact.

It was all wonderful and silent until some dorks walked in, talking and being noisy and whatnot. "Did you see Truesdale's face? Ha! We gave him the best breakfast ever."

_'Oh, perfect...' _He sunk his face into the palm of his hand and wept mentally. This could not be happening to him.

Now he had to listen to those losers while they gloated and congratulated themselves for being the biggest assholes ever. Just freaking dandy. "Who knew Zane's little brother could turn out to be such a dork,"

"I know." His knuckles tightened swiftly into a fist for no apparent reason.

In that precise instant, Chazz Princeton seriously wondered what exactly was stopping him from coming out of that cubicle and bashing their brains in — brutally. "You know what, we should actually help the little guy out for once. Yeah, let's give him a nice new hair cut."

The pricks on the other side of his door laughed, delighted and eager.

"Yeah, and if that Jaden kid's with him, it's only fair he should get one too. I've been waiting to wipe that stupid smile off his face for a while now." He honestly hadn't expected the answer to come that quickly.

It simply was not the right moment.

Rounding his gaze over the crowd yet again, he bit his lip impatiently and squeezed his fingers strongly around the hand-rail on the stairs. "Come on..._come __on_..."

There he was. _'Oh, thank God.'_

He ran towards him straight away. "Jaden!" The brunet turned around and spotted him almost instantly, the brilliant grin he adopted after that twisted into a worried frown when he realized he was running. Jaden jogged and met him halfway. The shrimp was not with him.

_Dammit..._

"Chazz, what's wrong?" Those brown eyes bore into his searchingly, and the hand he placed on the taller teen's shoulder helped hold him up while he caught his breath.

"Nothing's wrong. I just-" Before he could finish wheezing his seriously doubtful excuse out, the other interrupted him, keen for a change.

"Have you seen Syrus? I can't find him anywhere." Finally, things were starting to work perfectly for him.

"Yeah, actually...he asked me to tell you to go home without him. Said he had a little assignment he needed to finish and that he'd catch up with you later." He smiled lopsidedly, hoping against all odds that the brunet would just buy what he was saying.

"O-okay." He thought his knees would buck up in relief when Jaden smiled back warmly and patted his arm, gratefulness filling his voice and eyes. "Thanks Chazz. That was really nice of you. I knew you and Sy could be good friends if you gave each other a chance."

"Yeah..." Stupid conscience of his. "Uh, I'll get going now. See you tomorrow."

Without so much as another word, he ran off in the opposite direction.

—

Thirty minutes of ridiculously running around later and he still had found neither Syrus nor the gang of annoying idiots that were after him.

His mind was flirting with the idea of giving up when he passed by a deserted, smelly alley and spotted dark figures moving at the very end. He stopped and discerned through the shadows that it was indeed who he was looking for.

Because of the dark surroundings, no one noticed him getting closer. "I told you we'd see each other soon, didn't I dork?" Now that he was near the guys, he could see how one of the bullies, a guy with a scarred nose was holding Syrus up by the clothes against the dirty brick-wall. "Your brother's not here to fight for you. What are you gonna do now?" Ugh, he hated it when bullies baby-talked. Made his skin crawl disgustedly.

It was too much for him to bear so he spoke up, loving the way his voice sounded so strong and unwavering and sinister. Especially sinister, coming straight from the dark and all. "You'll put him down if you know what's good for you, loser."

They flinched at the intrusion — all of them. The pricks laughed and sneered at him once they realized it was just him. Alone and foolishly _vulnerable_.

"Now now, wearing your hair like that's one thing, but cutting people off like that..."

"Yeah, shut the fuck up, Sonic. We're talking to Mister Cookie Muncher here." To emphasize his point, he tugged hard on Syrus' shirt neck, lifting him off his feet to scoff at his face. And what was it with these guys and the incredibly unintelligent name calling, for God's sake?

"Forget about the dork." No sooner had he said that, the shorter teen was tossed aggressively into the wall, from where he slid down to the ground with a pained whimper. Chazz looked down at him with an unreadable expression, shivering in anger at the different emotions swelling from those huge eyes when their gazes met.

"You need to learn your place, pretty boy." Alright, there was no way he wouldn't smirk wickedly at that.

He really had to learn how to keep his mind out of the gutter. The entire gang of worms was surrounding him slowly, almost like they were closing in for the kill and he simply smirked even wider.

"Sorry freak but I don't swing that way." At his comment one of them, the tallest one in fact, came up to him and made a move to take a swing at his cheek, missing by only a tiny gap. Taking advantage of the proximity, he stabbed his knee right into his gut, and man, did he love the sound he dragged out of the jackass. Like the useless piece of shit he was, the guy plummeted to the ground and stayed there, struggling to suck in air.

One down, four to go...

The next one got decked squarely in the jaw while he was just moving into his personal space to hit him. A blow to the patch of skin in between his cheekbone and nose stunned him and another to his side squeezed the wind out of him, white spots exploding into his vision at the pain. He threw a punch unknowingly and smiled as soon as he heard the cracking noise that told him his fist had hit home. Probably another jaw.

The thud that followed delighted him more than he could put into words.

His mind dove into panic-mode the second he registered numbly being seized by the neck and shoved back, with a hard, cold wall waiting behind to keep him up and so he was dazed out of his freaking mind and panting for air _yet_ again.

Chazz almost gagged with distaste when whoever was holding him up breathed into his face nastily, proud sneer dancing on his voice and everything, "Pretty but stupid, aren't we?" It was the guy who talked about him like he was some rebellious hooker. The black-haired teen opened his eyes and smirked back, wrapping his fingers around the hot hands on his neck.

"Go to hell." Thankfully, he had height-advantage, so jamming his forehead into the loser's nose was relatively easy.

The asshole staggered back dully while he gasped, the fresh air burning like hell-fire on his lungs after a long time of not inhaling. Before the other could recover so much as his sense of direction, he sunk his fist into his temple and knocked him out. Should really be proud, if only 'cause he got floored in the most beautiful way. He kicked a prick in the face, the one he'd kneed in the stomach, just as he was attempting to stand up again. This time around, the sucker stayed on the ground, motionless.

Right where he belonged, in his opinion.

The last one was simply standing there, staring fearfully at him, visibly shaking and cowering. Clearly nothing more than a follower so he did only the necessary. He started to walk towards him calmly, grinning like a mad man, the kind that ate entire fingernails right off someone else's fingers.

He had only taken half a step when the pussy very cleverly ran away.

Ah...his violent release was complete now. He felt free like the wind again.

—

He really should've seen this coming. "W-What happened to you?" Fuck, didn't they ever go out or something?

Before he knew it, those two morons were all over him, pushing and poking his already wounded body, like the bruises weren't real; like he had painted them himself with ink. Cold, raspy fingers grasped his chin strongly as his oldest brother examined his purple cheekbone and bloody nose closely, making him wince a little. Jagger picked one of his arms up and folded the sleeve of his shirt back, checking for any deep cuts or broken bones.

After a few more seconds, he finally reacted. "Get off, you morons. I'm hurting as it is." He slapped Jagger's hand away from his arm, and tried to turn his head to the side sharply in order to free himself, but Slade's vice-like grip didn't bulge.

Without any energy left on his sore body to fight back, as he usually would, he decided to glare daggers at the oldest Princeton. Said man was, of course, unfazed, and he was wearing a concerned frown that almost seemed impossible. He just couldn't match the expression with the face or the name. "Who did this to you?" For some reason, Chazz wasn't able to return his brother's intent stare. "Was it a thief?

"Uh..." He swallowed down and licked his dry lip, flinching slightly at the pain any kind of movement caused him. "No..."

Although he couldn't see it, Slade's eyes grew oil-dark at his answer. "Then who?" Okay, now he was being a little melodramatic, shaking his shoulder like that. His head snapped back and forth once almost limply in a way that matched the whirlwind-pace of his mind.

"Stop that!" And much to his surprise, he did stop. "Alright, alright, it was a thief. Happy?"

The entire world roared around them. "How many times do I have to tell you?"_ 'Yay, here we go...'"_Just give them the money! You never know if they are carrying a gun or not, Chazz!..."

He didn't know whether to be thankful or annoyed at the way the parental speech slurred together, mimicking Charlie-Brown's-teachers language. Blah, blah, blew, blah, blagh...

* * *

"Don't worry, the swelling will be gone by the time you wake up tomorrow, Hun..." With tender, warm fingers she laid a tiny band-aid across the bridge of his nose. "You're lucky they didn't give you a black eye." Beatrix pressed an ice-pack against his cheek, also covering the patch on his nose that ached like a freaking bitch just fine. He rested his hand over hers and held the compress in place when her hand retreated.

"Yeah..." Damn right. He'd have to go back and kill them if they actually had. Probably face like 60 years of prison for cockroach homicide.

"So..." She said slowly, dragging out the syllable like she did every time she wanted to draw something out of him, and sat down beside him.

"What?"

"I found your wallet and it's not empty. No thief would let you get away with just that." She poked the icepack to get her point across. "Spit it, kid." Stupid women and their god-damned sixth sense.

Darting his eyes briefly towards the door first, he finally confessed, "I got into a fight." Chazz fell back into the pillows and snorted wittily. "Worse part is, it wasn't even my own."

"I'm proud of you." The most simply spoken words he'd heard in a while made him leap back up, outraged.

"What? Did you listen to what I just said? I got into a _fight_."

"I heard you the first time. I'm proud of you because I'm sure you had very good reasons to do that. Am I right?"

He smirked teasingly. "If it makes you feel better, I guess..."

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The next day, when Jaden walked up to him to greet him, with Syrus not too far behind, he was proud and perhaps a little pleased to find a small smile peeking shyly at him from distance.

(End of Chapter 9)


	10. The Ghost Of A Good Thing

**Authoress' Note****:** Since I really have to finish this thing, I'm just joining all of the separate drabbles I wrote quite some time ago. It's all coming together like a puzzle, thankfully.  
**Summary: **(AU fic) When you suddenly find your life shattered, you learn that love can be found in the most unpredictable places. Takes place through their last year of high school, so if you're looking for a Duel monsters story, this is not for you. ChazzJaden  
**Pairings: **Mostly ChazzJaden and one-sided JadenAster, a bit of JesseJaden, but there'll be other pairings as well...  
**Warning:** No warnings for this chapter. Only Chazz and his dirty, pretty mouth.

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu Gi Oh GX. 

* * *

Chapter 10  
**"The Ghost Of A Good Thing"**

When Chazz showed up the next day sporting a vaguely faded purple bruise on his cheekbone and a few more on his arms, Jaden's jaw fell; so did the entire rest of him actually. Slumped drearily in the disbelief left over by the realization that someone had dared to mar that pale, too-perfect-to-be-true face, the mere knowledge causing his insides boil right within his skin.

Apparently, some guy had tried to rob him while he was heading home for the day, he had resisted and well...the rest was kinda obvious.

Still, there was something fishy about the way his tale was excessively meticulous and sketchy at the same time, or the way he contradicted himself a few times as he was going through his anecdote. It just didn't feel right to him.

He and Sy had acted really strangely lately as well, interchanging fast glances instead of words like it was a secret language or something. Not that he was complaining, though. He was actually ecstatic about the fact that they were friends now. _They_ were all friends, which meant he would no longer be the awkward line stopping those two from killing each other.

Chazz still messed around with him of course, calling him names and being the same jerk he had always been, and Syrus seemed to cope with it a lot better than before, even doing some name-calling of his own. Sometimes it was fun, others it was sort of uncomfortable for him because he never really knew what to expect when those two joked around.

But hey, maybe that was the kind of relationship they chose to have. As long as they were fine with each other, right?

Don't fix what's not broken, as they say, so Jaden was more than willing to let that one go.

* * *

AC/DC's Thunderstruck never got old, no matter how many times he listened to it. It was simply impossible. There was something about the name that just charmed him the very first time he heard it. An explosive classic; damn, that song was unadulterated perfection, in his opinion.

"Hey Chazz!" He really didn't want to believe the fact that Jaden's piercing voice was able to top Brian Johnson's cries — only it did, startling him out of his mind while he was living a flawlessly peaceful moment here.

Of course...It had been too beautiful to be true. "What now?" He replied tiredly without looking up at him. Sometimes he wondered why exactly he hadn't thrown him off some stairs and called it an accident yet.

"I kind of fell asleep last class so I was wondering...Can I borrow your notebook?"

"What do you mean you _fell asleep last class_? You do that every class, _every_ _day_, you moron. Except for when it's lunch-time 'cause then you just dash through the door like freaking bullet." He made a gesture with his hand to describe the way that bone-head fled every time the ring for lunch rang.

Instead of pondering the truth in what he was saying, the loser actually nodded and grinned goofily at his comment. "Yeah..." His expression sobered up significantly after a second. "Wait, is that a yes or a no?"

Honestly, why did he even bother?

"No. I won't help your lazy, scumbag habits." The dark eyed teen yanked his front bangs and sincerely wished he could put the idiot here out of his misery without getting his hands too gory. "God, you're a...a..." The word took a while to come to him but the instant he found it, he knew it was perfect for Jaden. "You're a _**slacker**_." A green light lit on his head at the very sound of it rolling off his tongue. Yep, it was definitely the one. "Besides, you'd probably lose it anyway."

Caramel eyes narrowed slightly at the floor in deep thought (which he really doubted) and turned back up at him with uncertain inquisitiveness. "Okay, I can give you a warrant if you're so worried about it. That way, if something happens to your notebook you can legally beat me into a bloody pulp."

Chazz scoffed at his comment and looked out the window to calm himself. "Oh, believe me, I don't need a warrant to do that..." He sneered a little at the way the brunet simply nodded yes. People who recognized the threat of others without showing too much pride, he appreciated greatly.

Especially if he was deadly serious about his words.

"If you want it to be legal, then you do."

The slacker had a point. Man, did he love the sound of that. "Alright." Terrific; he had a favorite word now and a piece of paper would soon give him the opportunity to kick the crap out of Jaden. What could be better?

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He had been innocently walking by the Gym, looking for someone to mess around with, i.e. John or Bastion, and saw it.

More specifically, he saw _her_. Leaving dust behind for her contenders to suck in as she ran keenly through the track, looking devilishly hot as hell with that golden hair that soared in the wind and her Champaign eyes narrowed forward, determined and passionate. And judging by the dirty looks most girls shot her way, it was most certainly not the first or second time she'd passed through the mass of slow bitches.

Then again, how could she not? With those legs, Alexis could easily outrun Jaden and him on a race; hands down. Those things were freakishly long! Not that he'd have any time to whine though.

There'd be too much movement going on to even focus on the path, if you catch his drift. Too much magnificence popping into view to waste his time nursing his bloated ego. He sighed, loving the soothing way his shoulders sank when the air abandoned his chest completely. '_This right here has to be what falling in love feels like...'_

However, before he could start fantasizing about unexpected rain (hmm...) or anything for that matter, the P.E. teacher whistled to make it all stop too quickly and dismissed everybody.

Which meant the girls had to visit the showers and _ding, ding, ding_! That son of a bitch wasn't as brain-damaged as he thought he was after all.

Anyway, he wasn't your average desperate little dork who had never gotten laid, (namely Syrus), so he wasn't about to sink that low. Well...at least not today.

* * *

The next weeks passed by calmly; sort of uneventfully, actually. Everything was fine and serene, so wonderful it didn't surprise him that much when Gabriel asked him to take care of the business for a few days. Her mom had had a heart surgery and she was going to look after her, at least until she got discharged.

And he'd agreed right away at the shaky tone in her voice. No second thoughts of any kind because Gab was his friend and she needed him. Naturally, it was a massively big responsibility, but he'd been pretty much handling everything single-handedly for a long time so what difference would it make now?

Jaden very smartly forgot to mention that fact, of course. Bringing up criticizes to a scared woman was suicide, after all.

The day was slow and quiet — two things he didn't know he would cherish so much. He was cleaning the coffee and whipped cream stains from the counter and thinking about his comfy bed while Jon Bon Jovi crooned softly in the background when someone snapped their fingers in his face. He glanced up...well, put some focus into his gaze and stared stupidly at Chazz's trademark your-a-hopeless-idiot face.

"Welcome back, loser." His overly sarcastic friend smirked mockingly and bore those pale orbs into his like he always did whenever he wanted to mess with him, and it drew a blush out of him almost instinctively.

A reaction he was unable to escape, 'cause hey, this guy sure was something. He watched silently as his fingers tightened around the wet cloth, smiling a little helplessly. So what if Chazz was doing something screwy and wicked with his head? It wasn't like he minded at all, particularly when he chuckled or smiled at him in a certain way.

Because it wouldn't be the first time caught himself thinking: '_Another one of those cunning smiles and I'm so in..._'

"I was planning on drinking that coffee today. Think you can manage, slacker?" Though he had to admit, the part that came after that was constantly the nasty one.

---

How could someone have such craving for something so bitter and...dark? The night-creature sitting in front of him was calmly finishing his _third_ cup, probably angling for the fourth one, sipping on it like it was plain water and not the exceedingly concentrated black coffee he asked for. With two tablespoons of his strongest coffee per cup, it was clear that this guy had a death wish.

Or maybe just a very unhealthy addiction. Who knew, right?

"You really like it, don't you?" He found himself asking out of the blue, already bracing himself for the inevitable sarcastic response he'd surely receive for asking the freaking obvious. A reply that maybe he'd been looking forward to hear since it was as expected as 4 showing up after punching 2 + 2 into a calculator.

But then Chazz reminded him of his kinda sinister unpredictability by simply nodding, his voice raw and a few octaves lower than usual from the heat of his beverage as he said, "Yeah, I love coffee." Something about his tone or the way his gray gaze seemed to light up at his own comment made him believe there was a whole nostalgic story behind that wacky fondness; either way, he didn't ask.

He more than happily settled for allowing the adamant smile pulling at his lips to show. This side of him — this unguarded, honest person he liked the most. The guy that could dream him off his feet with a single look because it was the real Chazz Princeton staring back at him.

No mask or bluffing act, just him.

* * *

No matter how hungry he was or how many times he looked, the food available in the cafeteria was still A-rated crap. Dorothy was a nice lady and all, but her cooking seriously made him consider the amount of nutrients found in dog poop.

He was so miserable and hungry that when the smurf popped down next to him, he didn't say anything to make him go _puff_ with indignation — didn't even try.

A drained sigh softened his whole body in a second. It would be virtually impossible for the day to get any worse, in his opinion.

Or so he'd thought, because right then some blonde chick decided to spill her whole cup of orange juice on Syrus while she was passing by. All of it. His eyebrow raised on its own when he noticed that several drops had missed his arm and thus, his very beautiful gray shirt by mere inches. The girl apologized to them nervously under his piercing stare and left, not without very politely leaving some napkins on the table.

When he glanced at the shrimp and fully saw how it all had turned out for him, he threw his head back and crackled like there was no tomorrow. It seemed the man upstairs was getting creative with the ways He decided to make his day.

Ah, look at that. Syrus' head wasn't mushroom-shaped after all. So it _is_ true what they say...

You really learn something new everyday.

He put an arm around the shorter teen's shoulders and leaned on him. "Worst part is, that's probably the only juice interchange you're ever gonna have, kiddo." Chuckling contently, he gave Syrus a courtesy squeeze before chomping on his meal with a smirk as wide as it would get and still be considered a smirk, even if what he was trying to shove down his throat was hazardous waste.

And damn it all to hell if he wasn't unraveling with cheerfulness at the way the other was staring at him incredulously. Oh, did he love being the effing jerk of the story.

* * *

With a burning hole on his stomach and hardly an ounce of energy left on body, Jaden yawned as he walked down the hallway. The full-time week of work was practically munching away at his sleep hours, he had to stay late stacking endless piles of cappuccino boxes and he was so hungry he could literally eat a horse.

He was so close to the cafeteria he could almost taste Dorothy's delicious food. The guys were probably already there waiting for him.

When he was 5 or 6 steps from it, Chazz's tall silhouette appeared in the doorway, smirking and looking all haughty like always and yet, like he'd never seen him before. If he didn't know any better, he'd say his black haired classmate almost glowed under the morning light.

Simply for the sake of reassurance, he glanced around to check if anybody else noticed that. _'Nope, just me...'_

Strangely enough, that scary grin widened slightly the moment their eyes meet. The brunet raised one eyebrow and stared at Chazz warily. There were only two possible explanations for that kind of glee: **a)** He was up to something wicked, or the old and reliable **b)** Someone else was suffering greatly.

And why did the image of Sy come to his mind at that?

"You _really_ creep me out when you smile, you know?" Seriously, how could someone with a face like that ruin the complete meaning of a smile?

This time, the other simply laughed. "I'm in a good mood, that's all." As much as he'd wanted to comment on that rather apocalyptic event, the fact that Chazz leaned over him and sniffed was a _little_ bit too distracting. The thoughts and feelings running behind the odd expression on his friend's face were more than unreadable for him.

It kinda threw him off balance because, for one, he had no idea what the other was looking for. Besides, he really shouldn't come up that close to him because it produced some interesting consequences and he was sort of dying here, willing himself to keep his stance as ridiculously hard as that seemed. Did Chazz do it on purpose or something?

The only emotion he could discern on those brilliant orbs was perhaps mild interest — the other one might take him a little longer to make out. "You smell like coffee." He said plainly, eyeing his face (not precisely making eye contact, by the way) in a curious fashion.

And then, just like that, it all clicked.

'_You really like it, don't you?'_

'_Yeah, I love coffee.'_

"..." Neither a response nor the motivation to give one dared to cross his mind.

Yep, he was definitely doing in it on purpose.

Although he was too busy to notice much of anything, he did manage to pick up the way Chazz's expression sobered up in a second and how his tone switched from very enticing husky to a down-to-business one. "By the way, it's been 4 weeks, slacker! I need my notebook back."

Somehow, (thankfully) his own head cleared up at the change in the other's demeanor. "Alright, but I think I left it at home. Why don't you come with me and Sy after school? We could go to the lake after that, what do ya say?" Even if he really, really wanted Chazz to come, he honestly didn't expect him to actually consider his offer.

His face lit up at the opportunity.

A whole evening with his two best friends at his favorite place in the entire town. That'd be awesome.

The youngest Princeton tapped his chin, eyes narrowed cutely. "Hm..." He then sighed and shook his head. "I only asked for my notebook, not for a session of intense mind-torture. So...thanks, but no thanks."

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Why was he tagging along, again...?

For the twentieth time that day, he huffed disdainfully, arms folded over his chest. All he wanted was to get his notebook back, and here he was, barely pulling through one of the longest days of his existence with Mr. Brightside and Mickey Mouse chewing at his patience.

Said boys were chatting happily two feet or three ahead of him, distance he had placed himself. Far too fed up with life to glare holes into their unaware backs like he wanted to, he sighed and stuffed his hands into his pockets, focusing his gaze on the stripped ground while they crossed the broad street separating them from Jaden and Syrus' neighborhood.

Ah, he definitely would end up in a mental institution after this. Y'know, the kind of place that only drives you crazy. Well..._crazier._

But hey, maybe that was exactly what he needed. A nice, quiet place where he would always be taken care of, drugged even, and there would be no more school for him, or Jaden or Syrus. And no more Slade or Jagger, and oh God, he could've rocketed through the roof at that one.

Now, that would be a life. Even if the food was probably crap and the nurses weren't hot, it would be as close to paradise as he'd ever be.

A few steps from reaching the sidewalk, Jaden looked back at him and beckoned for him to get closer, flashing him the most charming and brilliant grin he could possibly offer. The black haired teen's head snapped up, and he found there was nothing he could do about the blush burning bright on his cheeks.

_'Stupid slacker...Does he have to be so goddammed..._' **beautiful!** '_...cheesy?'_

He jogged in order to catch up with them, but when he was halfway there his pace flattered slightly the second those cinnamon eyes grew wide in shock. Everything around him seemed to advance in slow motion, whereas, his mind and body did not. The bus was moving towards Jaden with great speed, so he knew he had to be just as fast.

Acting on raw instinct, Chazz leaped from his spot and got to him in no time. He put one hand on his shoulder, hooked the other around his waist and shoved him with all his might.

The force of suction the bus created as it passed by way too closely behind him grazed his back like a casual yet forgiving caress, making him sway a little in midair before he finally planted his feet firmly on the concrete.

Jaden took a few more steps forward, trying pretty valiantly to recover his equilibrium but falling to his knees eventually in stunned-to-the-core stupor. Luckily, he managed to get past his daze to keep himself from plummeting face-first into the ground by trusting his hands in front of him.

An eerie, unnamed feeling vibrated through him, shaking the foundations of his very being.

Strangely, it only took one insecure glance over the shoulder from Jaden to convince his denying self that the dark feeling rocking his body so furiously was none other than pure, mind-tearing fear — one that ran as deep as a silver blade through the heart and that increased with every second he spent lost in the other's caramel wide-eyed stare.

With his pulse still hammering away at the walls of his chest, he rested his hands on his knees to keep himself from following the slacker's actions and crashing down to the sidewalk like a corpse. He was so terribly scared out of his mind for reasons he didn't even understand, much less know how to act upon. At a complete loss for both words and actions, he traced the worn-out, safe pattern of denial and dealt with his emotions the only way he was acquainted with.

Good old Anger.

"What the fuck is wrong with you?!" Despite the powerful, coaxing tone to his breathless words, the brunet didn't respond. Hell, he didn't even bat an eye, which only exasperated him even further. "How could you stay in the middle of the street like that?! You..._you_...**moron**!"

He needed a time-out here, dammit. His head was a total chaos. On one side, he kinda _really_ wanted to walk up to the slacker and slap the living hell out of him. Still, the odd desire to kneel besides him and run his hands over his chest, arms and face, simply to check if he was truly okay, it was equally powerful.

Or perhaps stronger, even if he was certain the slacker was unharmed.

He had made certain of that, after all.

"Jaden!" The screech Syrus let out as he ran towards them split a final crack into his self-control, making it epically hard for him not to scream at him to get the fuck lost before he lost it completely. So instead of blowing up at the shrimp for reasons he might not be able to explain later on, he settled for hanging his head low with his eyes shut tight, hidden from Jaden's searching gaze 'cause he knew something inside him would break beyond repair if he kept eye-contact any longer.

Not sure what or why, but the feeling was convincing enough.

"What happened?!" Weird situation or not, he couldn't hold back the small snort that came out of his mouth at that. Only Syrus Truesdale would fail to notice his friend almost getting killed a few feet away from him.

Seriously...

Straightening up to stand at his full-height, he paced forward as calmly as someone with shaky legs could and came to stop at an arm-length from Syrus and Jaden. "Nothing. He just tripped over something like the clumsy little idiot he is." The indignant glare the smurf sent his way melted into a blank stare as he reached out and picked the brunet up by the collar of his red t-shirt in one swift, smooth motion.

A bizarre twinge of apprehension and maybe some kind of twisted-up sympathy stabbed at his gut when the brown eyed teen sort of leaned on him for support. Clearly, he wasn't the only one with wobbly legs.

Shame on him and all, but that last revelation kinda made him feel relieved.

"Right, slacker?" Just so the shortie wouldn't notice any of it, he steadied Jaden by putting one hand on his arm like it was nothing more than a casual act of friendliness, gripping him with the firmness of a rock castle until he was confident the other wouldn't fall.

After a long pause, his classmate finally answered with a wavering smile. "Yeah...Sorry I worried you, Sy."

Not being able to help himself, and actually not wanting to, he ruffled those chocolate locks affectionately and smirked down at the sloppy loser at his necessary charge.

"Good boy."

* * *

The instant they entered the neighborhood, Sy said goodbye and headed home — or ditched them, according to a faintly pleased Chazz. He wasn't sure if his best friend leaving had in fact thwarted his whole plan for a trip to the lake or not since it was very probable his black-haired friend would decline the invitation now that it was only the two of them, but he decided they might have had enough excitement for a day, anyway.

The front door was unlocked, which meant either his mother or Tony were somewhere around the first floor. As soon as he opened the door a warm, homemade pizza scented wave hit their faces and crept seductively around them, making him sigh happily while Chazz merely closed his eyes and smirked, hands in his pockets.

Ah, the best homecoming welcome ever. "Jaden, that you?" His ears literally perked up at the sound of his mother's voice.

Cheerful as ever, especially when steamy pizza waited for him at the table, he walked towards the kitchen where he guessed his mom was calling him from. "Yeah! I'm with a frie-" He looked back at his unwilling guest and his words died down in his throat right away at the suspicious expression in the other's face. He followed his observant stare and found his step-father standing in between them at the bottom of the stairs.

What interested him the most, though, was the way Chazz was gazing at the man. It was weird and kinda beyond words but whatever it was, he knew it was definitely not the way someone would stare at a friend's father. He shot him a questioning look before putting a hand on Tony's shoulder in order to make him break eye-contact with the youngest Princeton.

"Hey man, this is Chazz." Still more than a little confused by the other's odd behavior, he gestured towards him with his chin. "He's a good friend of mine from school."

Purposely, he ignored the clear-as-air stiffening that came off his classmate in waves at his comment.

At his very true statement.

"My, my, and just who are you?" His mother, like practically always, managed to sneak up on them, her eyes and tone amusedly delighted as she walked over to where the older teen stood silently — rather bashful if he was to describe it — and linked an arm around him, gently guiding him closer to Tony and him. "C'mon, you're too pretty to stay in that corner by yourself."

Shame on him and all, but Chazz's obvious awkwardness and the blush that glowed zealously on his pale cheeks was probably the best thing that had happened to him in months.

There was just something about seeing him so flustered that simply distorted his senses and made him feel like his face, as well as his whole freaking body, was wrapped all around by hellfire. In all the rarity of such occurrence, that craving that had become almost like a fetish of his or something. And in all honestly, he'd never given fetishes-related subjects any thought before, much less pondered on how good they could feel so he really was more than intrigued on that.

Back to the matter at hand. "His name's Chazz Princeton, Mom. He's a friend from school." His mother looked up at the black haired young man next to her and beamed sweetly, and much to his infinite surprise, his friend actually grinned back. Well, it wasn't that much of a surprise if he looked closely.

"Pleased to meet you." The whole thing smelled like success to him. She never smiled that way to any of his friends. **Never**. Sure, she was nice and welcoming and jolly, but he knew she reserved that infallible smile for only two people in the entire world. One of them wasn't even around to see it anymore, so it was really an honor.

"You can call me Leyla." Damn, the guy stupidly was charming. He laughed softly. It felt good to know he wasn't the only one who believed that.

"We only came to pick up some things, unless..." He ventured a beseeching glance at the ebony haired boy and saw a reluctant, uncertain plead in his eyes, mirroring his intention in his own Chazz-ish fashion. Either way, it made him tremendously glad. "You wanna stay for dinner?"

As expected, his mother didn't even wait for the answer. "Perfect. You two go get cleaned up and I'll set everything, okay?"

---

Thanks to his mom's cooking, the meal was delicious, to say the least. Rachel was napping, Alessa was at a friend's house studying and Sam was out in a date, so the four of them had the pleasure to eat in such heavenly peace and quiet. Or not, since Chazz was overwhelmed with questions and comments from both his mother and Tony, which he managed to counter with impossible grace and ease, speaking and eating like a true gentleman and his mom just could not have enough of it.

She almost died from a happy heart-attack when he offered to help her with the dishes.

Yes, he was perfectly blending in with his family and the best part of it all was that he wasn't even being phony in order to do so. His gaze, the easiness with which he performed every single one of his moves and the smoothness of his voice as he talked, he knew it was everything but fake. Was sure of that, very deep down.

He was truly like that. And even though it was an appealing side of him, he didn't find himself wishing for him to always be that person. He liked Chazz exactly the way he was —a witty, well-mannered and extremely sarcastic jerk with fleeting but constant moments of great adorability.

Because he knew Chazz wasn't really _the_ Chazz Princeton if he wasn't any of those. Or all of them.

Oh, yeah. Even to these days, the guy could confuse the hell outta him.

After doing the dishes they went upstairs, to his room. He couldn't say whether Chazz was surprised or relieved to discover how organized his room was. He wasn't a neat freak or anything; he just liked it best when he could move around without tripping every five freaking seconds.

Neatness or not, he still had a pretty hard time finding that notebook. The other simply followed him with his eyes, raising an eyebrow at him when he disappeared inside his closet or behind his bed side. "Aha, found it!" It had been under his bed, lying there with some dust bunnies over it. "Here..." He blew the dust away and handed it over to a slightly peeved Chazz. "Thanks, man."

His classmate stared at him suspiciously for a while before saying in a deadly dim tone. "Jaden..." He cocked his head to the side a little at that, gazing at him with the biggest attention and inquisitiveness and the wait almost killed him 'cause his friend never talked like that. Not to him, not to anyone. "Did you even open it?"

Gasping with a hand on his chest and a baffled look on his face, he was the ultimate embodiment of indignation. It was, nevertheless, just a personification — one that his friend was not buying in the least. "Of course I did! You think I'd ask for it just to leave it there like that..."

The instant Chazz dropped his brows and lowered his eyelids faintly to glower at him, he decided giving up was a very good idea.

"Alright, I didn't exactly go through it..." At the darker gray glare aimed at him after that, he closed his eyes shamefully and rephrased, "I only read ten pages, but only because I couldn't understand most of what I was reading." Somehow, the other's discontentment triggered some kind of desperation in him, a hunger for approval that made him grasp at straws just to wipe it off his face.

Especially if he was being completely upfront with him by admitting his _little_ academic problem.

Chazz's sigh made it all worse, either way. "Look man, Banner's out of his cat-loving mind if he expects me to learn all of those formulas AND understand them on top of that!" When the black haired teen straightened up and took on his stern-teacher stance, he turned his head away and waited for the beginning of an argument.

An argument that didn't look too promising for him, mind you. "He doesn't expect you to learn or understand anything if you fall asleep every class, slacker!" In a very Princeton manner, he tapped the cover of the notebook against Jaden's forehead. It didn't hurt his head at all since it hadn't been done with that intention; the feeling he got stung enough, though.

"Well, it's too late for that so why don't you just tutor me or something, Mr. Perfect?" He pushed the offending object to the side and returned the frown.

He'd been anticipating annoyance or maybe anger, but the bewildered stare he was receiving threw him off guard and he kinda wished he had a camera on him at the moment because Chazz looked like he'd told him he was an alien from a very, very distant galaxy roaming the earth in search for yummy brains or some idiocy like that.

"You...you want to learn this stuff?" The way he said that, it sort of made him believe he'd never thought he would have to use all of those words together in a sentence, in that exact order.

It sounded like a challenge to him. And if it was indeed one, he was so gonna nail it. He smirked boldly. "I do, actually. Unless you can't teach me because you didn't understand a thing yourself, that is."

Never one to back down from a challenge either, Chazz smirked back. "You're on."

He'd be lying if he said he hadn't expected him to add 'bitch' at the end of his agreement.

---

He banged his head against the desk below him and waited. Fifth time he'd gotten the entire problem wrong, his frustration was only understandable. His tutor didn't seem to believe that, though.

"Listen, I know this sounds painful, but you have to think really hard about it, slacker." There it was — the mocking evaluation he'd get for his lousy try, and sure enough, it was scornful, but the tone he used was neither mocking nor sarcastic; it was tired and hopeful and it warmed his heart immensely to hear that.

To realize that at least someone hadn't given up on his academic skills, and he respected him a lot for that 'cause that only highlighted his fiery persistence. Chazz stood up from his computer chair and sat down next to him on the bed, "The whole thing is not difficult at all, just a little messy. It's your job to sort it out and then find the answer."

"You're tutoring him?"

Raising their heads sharply like wary birds, they both turned to the doorway at the intrusion. Sam was standing there, her slightly freckled face scrunched up in a skeptical frown.

"Tch, good luck. You're gonna need it. He's got a peanut-sized brain." She glanced at Chazz with an expression that terrorized him out of his mind.

Interest and flirtation were both written almost imperceptibly on her soft rosy features and now that he looked closely, she was wearing some black eyeliner to accentuate the pretty shape of her ruby eyes. The most terrible part of it all, however, was definitely that way his classmate was smirking at her. He probably couldn't pick up her intentions because he didn't know her as well as he did.

Still, that didn't make it any less horrifying to him.

"I'm Samantha, Jaden's...sister." The brunet's jaw fell to the floor. Okay, something here was appallingly wrong. _Samantha?_ Since when did she let anyone call her that? Countless times had he heard her bark about how much he hated to be called that. When the other opened his mouth to reply, she held a hand up to stop him. "Chazz Princeton, I know. Mom's still talking about how handsome and polite and simply great you are."

No bitterness and no disdain in her voice could only mean one thing — she agreed in everything.

"Anyway, I have to go now, so..." And just when he thought it couldn't get any worse, his older sister smiled shyly. His cynical, monotonous and smug older sister **smiled**. He wanted to scream and run in the opposite direction. "Nice to meet you, Chazz." Dazed and nervous, he stared after her as she walked away stiffly without waiting for a response, closing his eyes once she was out of sight.

He couldn't stop himself from noticing how right she was. This was nothing but a waste of time; a waste of his and Chazz's time, in fact.

Movement from his right startled him a bit, yet not enough to make him lift his eyelids. Well, that was until he felt something poke his nose, naturally. Chazz's elongated index finger was hovering inches away from his lips and nose, the tip of it so close to his face he had to go all cross-eyed to see it clearly.

"Don't make me believe her." With upmost care and sympathy, the midnight haired teen began to erase his incorrect scrabbling from the now too-thin paper sheet and swept the eraser bits away with his hand. He was enthralled by the act, to be honest, and even more when the other held the pencil out to him with a small reassuring smile on his gaze. "I know you can do this. Try again."

Holding eye-contact for only a second longer, he stood up again and threw himself into the other bed, the one reserved for guests (he called it Sy's bed, either way). He laid there on his back with his feet still touching the ground and fingers pinching the bridge of his nose, eyes shut. A sigh to behold, alright...

He could've stared at him until the end of times if the silence had remained forever. Only it didn't.

"I meant _try again_, as in **now**, slacker. I'm getting old here." The change in tone and attitude from Chazz surprised him more than his sudden outburst. Every so often, it was too easy for him to forget how horribly volatile he could be; mostly when he acted so nice and understanding.

A strange emotion bubbled on his chest the second he realized he didn't mind the mood swings in the slightest.

"Besides, I thought you said something about taking a trip to the lake or something like that." His ears perked up at that.

Now he was talking his language.

Without wasting another second, he started solving the stupid problem that stood between him and a nice afternoon at the lake with his black-haired friend.

* * *

Mrs. Yuki was an eye-catching kind of woman. Most likely on her late thirties (if he was to exaggerate because her lean figure said otherwise), with wavy, shoulder-length auburn hair and soft chocolate eyes. Her eyes were attractively large and rimmed with long brown lashes, exactly the shape he liked in a woman. Gorgeous didn't quite come close to describe her — simply put, she was very, very beautiful.

The slacker's resemblance to her was scarily clear. And yes, he just very plainly but indirectly admitted he considered the bone-head 'attractive'.

It wasn't his fault, anyway. Blame the moron for being so pretty and having the figure of a little, helpless damsel.

Oh, well...something to deal with later, he guessed. For now, all he wanted to do was close his eyes and take a warm bath in the dying sun's glow, with the trees rustling above him and the leaves hopping around them, carried playfully by the wind.

It was so peaceful it kinda struck his weary mind as surreal.

"So...you've met my family."

Without moving an inch, he offered Jaden a brief sideways glance. Damn...it was hard to remember the guy was still there when he was so quiet like that. A very random and dumb thought, but he was kinda, _stupidly _grateful for the privacy of the human mind. Another thing he had to thank the man upstairs for.

That was precisely why he was able to hold a straight face and say, "Jaden, maybe we should slow down a little. I don't know if I'm ready for a long-term commitment right now."

He waited a little while before turning back to the brunet with a small smirk. Ah, he really should start packing up a camera anywhere he went 'cause the face the other had was utterly priceless. He blinked twice in rapid succession and then laughed out light-heartedly. The shove he received on the shoulder knocked him off the really comfy sitting position he was in, leaning his back against a tree, and actually made him chuckle along, too, as much as he wanted not to.

Oh, what the hell. Maybe he could afford some sincerity, just this once. It wasn't like the slacker would tell, right?

Still, he needed to change the subject, like, _fast_. "Tony's not your dad, is he?"

Alright, perhaps he could've been slightly less straightforward about a topic as delicate such as this one, but...uh, Chazz Princeton, anyone? The guilt didn't come until the brunet casted his gaze down to the grass and tightened a fist absentmindedly around the green blades beneath his hand.

"No." As expected, it took the idiot some good seconds to grasp the whole situation. Eventually he did, snapping his wide caramel eyes back to him, confusion showing freely on his tanned face. "Wait, how did you-"

"'cause I'm smart." One of the few certainties of life, evidently. Even so, he rocked his head from one side to the other in defeated admittance. "Let's just say he doesn't have weirdly shaped hair and a goofy attitude to match." Okay, time to add some truth. "And...a picture of you and your mom with another man who looks a lot like you in the living room table might have given me a hint or two."

Honestly, it had been the very first thing he noticed when he walked inside that cozy feeling house.

Jaden stared very intensely at him for a while before looking straight ahead. "I guess that makes sense."

Why in the world did that barely discernible reaction make him feel like a true and complete asshole? He was and had always been one — no denial on that — except now he felt so small and stupid, like he hadn't in years and the only comfort he could find to excuse himself with was the very plausible fact that things couldn't possibly get any worse. He still had to apologize for being a dick. The idiot in front of him could be oblivious and simply annoying to no end, but he was probably the best friend he had ever had, by far. "Listen, I'm-"

"He died when I was six. On...Christmas Eve."

Right...scratch the whole 'can't get any worse' part. It was beyond awful now and he really hadn't meant it like that, never in his mind had been there an intention to hurt the perky brunet. It was all too fucked-up to even be true and it stung like hell because for once, for once in his sad, sad life, he could actually relate to what the other was feeling.

What hurt the most was the unshakable certainty he had in his conclusion that none of Jaden's 'sisters' were in fact related to him. None of them were in the picture he saw; it was only a little Jaden and his mother with that kind-gazed, brown-haired man. It must've been very hard for them to go on alone like that, his mother without a husband and him without a father or any siblings to rely on.

"No, Sam's not my sister. Neither is Alessa and Rachel is only my half-sister. Well, they kinda are because I love them all like sisters, but not really." The jolly teen shrugged faintly at his own awkwardly-spoken explanation and glanced at him warmly, serenely, leaning forward a little to make him meet his eyes. "That's what you were thinking, right?"

A bright smile escorted his words. A smile that forced him to remember the one he'd given him seconds before...

Yeah...a subject he just didn't want to recall, he decided. Better focus on something else. "I like her." He met Jaden's stare with a smirk and snorted. "She thinks you're stupid and called you a peanut-brain." There was a weird look on those wide eyes that he chose to ignore. It was gone in a sec, anyway, replaced by another one of those peacefully happy faces.

"She reminds me of you." So the girl was sarcastic and annoying too, hm? Well, takes one to know one, after all.

"But you met her first. Shouldn't I remind you of her?" Pleased and in an irritating mood, he countered with a triumphant, taunting frown, tilting his head back into his shoulder to emphasize the tease in his actions.

The brunet was the first one to break the eye-contact, his eyes squinted as he looked out at the twilight pensively, and there was something in the way those butterscotch orbs caught the sunset light that made him go all stupid and woozy. He then shrugged with a slight smile. "I guess it goes both ways."

Jaden turned back to him and, not that surprisingly, the reaction for the both of them was powerful and explosive and silent, like a contained bomb. A nuclear one at that, the blast turning out cold to his blood and warm to his heart and face and ears, so he didn't care that much about the fact that the moment they were living right there couldn't be any cheesier.

As long as it was happening to him, right?

For an instant, he found himself feeling some kind of strong sense of gratitude welling up inside him. He was thankful for a lot of things — sunsets, fate but most of all, he was grateful with this moron sitting next to him. For taking him along on his odd, clumsy trip, for sticking around even when he was an ass, for being always kind and patient with him...

For being there behind him, on that night.

Because he wouldn't be here now and he would've never lived to see this, to live this moment, and so he was happy. Ecstatic in fact, glad enough to lean forward and whisper, "Thanks." The word feeling hot and shaky as it rolled out of his tongue and it took his breath away. All of it, making him feel lightheaded, like it was nothing more than a hopelessly vivid dream.

"For what?" Jaden's expression was just as dazed as his, only there was a confused nature on it as well; so puzzled at his most-honest-declaration that it coaxed a smile out of him.

Still, no matter how curious and beautiful were the chocolate eyes he bored into him, he did not reply. He just kept on losing himself in the sunset's splendor dancing lazily on the skin of the lake.+

* * *

(End of Chapter 10)

Ugh, this story's a freaking mess! I'm sorry, but after cracking my skull open with a crowbar to see what the problem was, I figured out one thing. I really didn't have a place in this story for Chumley. I'm sincerely sorry, all of you Chumley fans out there, (if there are any, that is). I just can't fit him in, no matter how much I try.


	11. Can't Fight This Feeling

**Authoress' Note:** No comments.**  
Summary: **(AU fic) When you suddenly find your life shattered, you learn that love can be found in the most unpredictable places. Takes place through their last year of high school, so if you're looking for a Duel monsters story, this is not for you. ChazzJaden**  
Pairings:** ChazzJaden and one-sided JadenAster, a bit of JesseJaden, but there'll be other pairings as well...

**Warning:** No warnings for now, I guess.  
Disclaimer: I do not own Yu Gi Oh GX or any of its characters.

* * *

Chapter 11

"**Can't Fight This Feeling"**

The next day, as he walked down the silent and deserted hallway with an almost endless list of Hard Rock blasting away through the earphones perched on his earlobe, a warm hand landed on his shoulder, whoever it was gently waiting for him to turn around. He did, and then there was Jaden glancing up at him with a huge shit-eating grin spread all over his face.

Before he could comment on the expression and the man-handling (okay, maybe he was exaggerating a _little_ bit...), Yuki held up a paper sheet — not shoving it into his face like he would expect him to in all of his familiar childish eagerness. He lent forward out of curiosity and squinted his gaze slightly to observe it more clearly.

He saw an exam with plenty check marks, a big "**A+**" scratched all over it in bold red marker; then he saw Jaden's name at the very top and his eyes widened instantly. Mind still bathing in disbelief, he turned back to the slacker and stared at him dazedly, studying the pride and what he guessed to be infinite thankfulness swimming serenely on the surface of his large auburn eyes.

And inevitably, it happened. He wasn't really sure about how the whole thing actually happened in the first place, appeared only as a faint tug at the corner of his lips to never go away or even give him a choice at all.

Either way, he complied with the rather insistent urge and smiled lopsidedly down at his apprentice.

* * *

After trading a pair of steamed cappuccinos for a delighted '_thank you_', he replied the usual 'you're welcome' and turned around to clean up the mess left behind, mind already wandering around matters at hand while he scrubbed.

A certain black haired jerk popped into his head instantly at that. Couldn't be helped, he guessed with all except dread.

He honestly hadn't thought he had it in him at first; however, he turned out to be some kind of genius! His complete victory over that horrible subject shocked everyone, and Chazz said something about 'just having an almost inexistent attention-span', which confused and saddened him because he didn't know how to help his friend with that.

It was awful, but he was no doctor and it was rather dumb of the youngest Princeton to tell him of his little problem that when he had no way of assisting him.

Oh well...

A yawn that felt _so_ good caressed his throat and soothed whatever knots his sluggish mind might have had before. Sleep pretty much fled him in every possible way last night, and it had been sort of frustrating to be tired and not being able to simply shut himself off from planet earth for ten freaking minutes.

Chazz's handsome face, his words, the sheer surrealism of the afternoon, it all revolved around just behind his closed eyes to purposely keep him awake until the darkness faded into golden morning light and day was washed afresh.

It was inevitable for him not to wonder if Chazz had sensed those things too. Probably not.

So...yeah. He couldn't catch a wink of sleep that night.

The bell hanging from above the front door ringed patiently after someone walked in, its chirpy protest more than enough to bring him back to reality. A sigh blossomed from his chest and slipped past his parted lips, turning his muscles into watered-down pudding and his legs into noodles, so he placed his hands on the now spotless surface to hold himself up for a little while.

Once again, a ringing sound surely meant to get his attention stroked his ears and startled him, this time coming from right behind his back. Strangely, he felt it rather than heard it. It slinked all the way from his lower back to his neck ticklishly and heaved the skin into sensitive goose bumps in its wake.

He shuddered and turned around.

And then shuddered again when he saw Chazz standing on the other side. The guy wasn't even looking at him; he was leaning his upper body on the counter with his right forearm, free hand left hanging mid-air over the small silver bell he seemed to fancy. His entire stance irradiated casual gracefulness like always, and the tiny bored pout he wore pinched his lips and wrinkled his nose slightly.

What enchanted him the most about the sight, though, was the look on his eyes. There was an impossibly cute frown flashing from time to time on his face, pulling at his eyebrows as he examined the bell with unmasked, utterly innocent curiosity, his gray orbs rounding from it to his hovering index. He was looking at it like he hadn't had the slightest clue about how it worked before he even touched it.

Tilting his head faintly in concentration, he tossed a finger out and lay a small hit against the shinny metal. A single, gentle bang was his only response, which he welcomed with a little pleased smirk.

Then he froze, glanced up at him with a deer-in-the-headlights expression, and froze again when he realized he was being stared at.

By the whole freaking place.

Chazz swept his gaze over everything twice awkwardly, kinda shyly and given that it was a once in a lifetime thing, the brunet took all the time in the world to drink in every detail. Everyone went back to their own business again after a second or two. "Right..." He straightened up but stopped a bit to glare at a man that had kept on staring an instant longer than allowed; said man turned away almost immediately and he resumed talking. "So, slacker...since you've recently discovered you _do_ have a brain after all, I think I'm just gonna go ahead and ask for the usual."

Jaden reserved himself from answering and settled for a short, rich chuckle instead. "Superextramega strong black coffee and maybe a strawberry muffin?" He suggested kindly, grinning at the satisfied nod he received. "Got it, teach. Comin' right up."

He began to work on the order without wasting any time, but as soon as he saw the older teen turn his back on him, he released the wide smile he'd been suppressing and relinquished in the awesome feeling that flooded his chest. Chazz was always extra creative with the ways he wanted to say something nice, never expressing his real thoughts when he commented on anything he particularly liked a lot.

That comment, he knew it was his own way of telling him how proud he was of his perfect grade. And to be honest, he rather liked that about him. Wouldn't dream of having it any other way, more like.

Still smiling like an idiot, he retrieved a muffin from the glass box that held all the bake goods and set it on a gray tray on the counter along with the coffee. The youngest Princeton swirled around just in time to grab the plate that skated towards him without dropping a thing. He glared at him briefly, anyway.

"Yeah...I'm gonna ignore that."

After paying, the black haired teen went straight to sit at the farthest corner like the good little hermit he was, skillfully paying no heed to the stares, even to those who were aimed at him by the waving and grinning girls sitting on the flanking table.

Great, another thing he didn't need to worry about.

"...wait, what?" He flinched instinctively and whispered in a low tone so no one could possibly hear him talking to himself. What the bloody _hell_ was wrong with him and just what was the deal with those weird mental remarks? It seemed that kind of comments had become practically impulsive when he was around Chazz.

He had never been one to get all possessive when it came to his friends, his family or anyone for that matter. Still, maybe he was now. The fascinating question here was probably why.

Was he jealous of the attention his friend was receiving? Did their foolish belief that this good-looking loner would mind them in any way irk him?

Jealousy was pretty much a brand new concept for him; must things he felt around the other were too, now that he thought about it. One of the girls crossed her legs, causing her already almost nonexistent skirt to ride even higher up her thigh, and flashed a sultry smirk at the brooding young man.

This time around, she definitely got his attention.

He just lifted his eyebrows and nose slowly but simultaneously, looking both clearly stunned and interested. Lunch gave a heated somersault inside his stomach and practically every bone in his hand cracked at the strength of the hold he had on the edge of the counter; he decided he didn't like jealousy at all.

Luckily for him, in walked a group of five people with the potential to steal his mind off his friend for at least few minutes.

* * *

Okay, he could be aloof and arrogant sometimes, but there was no way in hell he could ignore such...appealing offer when it stood directly in front of his nose. Judging by the unabashed way he had been approached, he could tell that chick was either deadly dangerous or very, very easy. Whatever it was, he wasn't exactly complaining.

Unwilling to hand over his defeat so quickly, he looked away. Giving in that easily was not in his nature. It was stupidly tempting, of course; however, he was not in the mood to socialize at the moment. He had better things to do, like drinking his coffee while reading one of his favorite terror books, Stephen King's of course. If he added the fairly decent music hanging around him, he had a nice combo.

He must've turned away one second too late because the cherry blonde he'd been eying walked up to his table and placed a small, folded paper next to his hand. When he looked up at her, she smiled a little too sweetly and said in what she hopped to be a sexy voice, "Call me." She then spun around and walked away to join her giggling friends outside.

The girl glanced back halfway there to check if he was still looking at her, (which he so was, even leaning forward a bit to get a better view), and smirked as she noticed his lingering stare. The moment she was out of sight, he took his time to examine the paper. The digits were grazed over the torn out piece of paper in blue ink, along with the name and what appeared to be a set of puckered lips printed at the bottom.

"_Amy_, uh?" He folded the paper again and slipped it beneath the plate his muffin had once sat on, making a mental note to take it later before he left. "Look at that: fun can actually be delivered straight to your doorstep."

A husky chuckle rocked his body as he enjoyed his own joke, one that sounded slightly baritone at first due to the hot beverage.

He was so engrossed in his mirth that he didn't become aware of Jaden's presence until the other lifted the gray tray from his table and replaced his drained cup with a fresh, steamy one. His wide-open gaze went from the coffee to the hands fixing his table, finally climbing up tanned arms to meet the slacker's shinny orbs. "You were looking kinda empty-handed over here, so I thought I might as well beat you to the punch."

A warm feeling swell inside his chest, rapid and consuming like hungry fire, leaving such peacefulness and something that resembled affection after it evaporated, instead of the black hole in ashes he had been expecting to find.

It felt pretty damn good to know someone could know him that well. He managed to get past it all and reached for his pocket to get his wallet, but an attentive hand on his shoulder stopped him. "Don't worry about it, man." Yuki smiled down at him and shook his head. "Refill's on the house."

And just as fast as he'd come, the brunet walked off swiftly, back to work.

Yeah, he definitely had made the right choice by staying. Now there was no doubt of that, cheesy as that might sound, which it does. Dramatically, even. He took a sip off the new cup and relished completely in the best flavor ever. If he was to compare, he'd say that one tasted better than the first one.

Really...how did the moron do it?

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

For the hundredth time, he banged his head against his door-frame and groaned in now-dull pain. He felt like (and probably was) the biggest idiot to ever roam the earth. How could he lose that gorgeous girl's number? He went through the pockets of his jeans, his wallet and practically every single item of clothing he'd been wearing that day, but couldn't find that damned number. He could've sworn he had left it somewhere safe and still, he couldn't remember for the life of him even seeing that piece of paper on the table before leaving.

Without giving it too much thought, he climbed into bed and closed his eyes, doing his best to soothe the frown tiresome wrinkling on his face.

* * *

Finally, the lunch bell rang after what he could swear had been the longest period ever, courtesy of dear-old Crowler. He reserved himself the right to offend female dogs or his mother by calling him what everyone else called him; mostly since he didn't know the lady. That man, however, was nothing short of a stain in her resume, according to mostly everyone who knew him.

He rather liked the guy, though. Regardless of all the dirty tricks he loved to pull on him, and even despite the fact that he would probably push him off a stair while he tied his shoelaces if he could.

Because he knew Crowler wasn't as bad as he tried to portrait himself to be; somehow, he just knew it. Was sure that the young and kind man with the avid passion about his teaching practice was still there, somewhere. Maybe the ungrateful, cruel generations that had ghosted by the hallways wore his good nature down, and the frustration and the desire to unleash it with the lazy or misbehaving kids was all that was left of him.

Maybe he was just misunderstood? He knew how that felt like — his capacity to relate was astonishing, more like, and his patience practically endless. Sympathy could sweet-talk a person into doing such unbelievable things; acts that made miracles look like a walk in the park.

He sighed.

Everyone was more than eager to leave and put at least a mile between themselves and that classroom, so both doors were clogged up with hungry and bleary-eyed teenagers in a flash. A light bump to his right shoulder startled him out of reflection-land. He glanced up and found Chazz pinned against him, looking strangely unbothered by the 'violation of his personal space', as he called it. It was flattering to discover he was now trusted enough to be let inside that bubble so freely.

Boredom was pretty much the main ingredient in his scowl, the other one was annoyance. "I honestly don't know what's worse: Crowler's hell-class or Dorothy's food." They managed to untangle from the dispersing crowd and paced towards the cafeteria, side by side. "God, a bullet sounds so good right now."

That almost innocent comment stirred something inside his chest — something like a splinter nailed awkwardly, stuck really deep inside. Jaden scowled at the sensation. "Don't say that." The words left him in a hardly audible, breathy sound, kinda like a sigh or a beseeching prayer. His dark haired friend stared at him curiously but remained silent after he fixed blazing, chocolate orbs on his; the brunet averted his gaze after a second.

Chazz looked beyond weirded out at his distressed request; just a one-second pause later, he followed him as he resumed chunking away at the distance to the cafeteria.

* * *

"I still can't believe it. All in one class?" Syrus scratched his head and frowned at his friend. The brunet nodded, smile back on its righteous place. "I don't understand. Did he torture you?" Okay, now it was his turn to frown. Was him getting an A at something really that hard to believe? The thought was starting to bother him. "Maybe he brainwashed you and you don't even remember it!"

Jaden released a chuckle into the sky and shrugged. "Maybe he's just a good teacher." One that could seize every ounce of your attention with a word and whose 'motivational' smirks were able to move mountains. If he looked at it that way, then his grade was nothing short of expected.

"Hey." Oh, speaking of the devil. Chazz now stood in front of the empty space between where he and Sy sat; the guy was scowling, which wasn't that much of a shocker, only he seemed kinda distressed, too. Taking a closer look, (something he always did, for some reason) he noticed the youngest Princeton had a brilliant orange sticker attached to his dark shirt, a you've-got-to-look-at-me kind of sticker that read '**Royal Cutie**'. "Ready to go, slacker? Just because you got unbelievably lucky doesn't mean you'll go back to your...slacking habits. I have a reputation to uphold, you know."

"What's that?" The second he raised his finger to point at the sticker, he could've sworn the other's face soured up. It was barely noticeable, though. "It's so...orange." In a very simple tone, as an afterthought, he added. "It's orange, it doesn't suit you and you're still wearing it."

A faded red sprayed over pale features quickly, like hungry fire slithering over a sheet of gunpowder. "Mindy did it."

This time around, he was the one who fought with the urge to grimace. "And you didn't stuff it into your mouth and shallowed because...?"

When Chazz glared at him, he wished he could just freaking drop dead on the spot. His heart literally shrank at the possibility of insulting his friend by insulting a girl in particular. Perhaps the worst part was that he didn't even know what ached the most: the thought of having problems with Chazz because of a girl or that a girl would ever be that important for them to have problems in the very first place.

"I wanted to, and I would've done it if only Alexis hadn't been standing right there, watching. Can we go now so I can rip it off in the privacy of your home?" He honestly didn't know why, but the flat and annoyed tone he used to say that made him feel so good and pleased, like nothing had in a long time. It also made him feel kinda sick.

He grinned, nevertheless. "Yeah, let's go."

Before any of them had the chance to leave, Sy jumped in front of them. Well, in front of his gray-clad friend, to be precise. "Hey, Chazz, uh...I was wondering...can you tutor me too? You know, since you really helped Jay understand the whole thing and everything."

The black haired teen stared monotonously at Syrus for a sec or two and merely pointed at the bright sticker. "I'm sorry, does it say miracle worker here?" For the second time, Jaden tilted his head back and laughed his guts out; he dragged the taller one away from there once he was done.

Man, did he love that son of a bitch.

* * *

Mrs. Yuki pretty much showered him in kisses as soon as she saw him come in, confirming one of his strongest suspicions...

Thanks to him, Jaden Yuki had gotten his first A ever.

He didn't really understand what she meant when she told dork to 'look out for the Reaper', or why his classmate grinned at her, for that matter. Sure, he rather liked the guy's family, but he was starting to think they were sort of odd. Or maybe they just had a outsider-proof system, like a whole secret phrase code.

Like the way "Come help me with the dinner" from your mother in the middle of a fancy Christmas dinner usually means "Follow me so I can kill you in private". That kind of stuff.

A bit curious, he watched Jaden as he strolled down the corridor in a pink-panther fashion, back to the wall. He was about to yell at him to stop being such a moron when suddenly, a really young caramel haired girl burst forth from a closet.

The door opened with such force it slammed right into the slacker's face and threw him flat into his back, his head coming to land inches away from Chazz' feet. Meanwhile, the kid leaped out blindly and crashed into a short table, bringing down with her a lamp and a few aromatic decorations.

The scene and the fact that he had been there to witness, they were almost too good to be true.

And then, adding up to the bizarreness of the moment, the two of them raised their heads to look at each other and crackled up like nut-jobs.

Frowning yet wearing a faint, crooked smirk, Chazz stuffed his hands into his pockets and stared nonchalantly at the laughing siblings. "So it **is** genetic. Thank God. I was getting worried..."

* * *

Back in the days where his life kinda revolved around family, friends and his job, and why not, even school, he used to like afternoons like that one — serene, lazy and quiet, with only two or three ideally calm costumers sitting there, enjoying their coffee or maybe even the music.

Only now, the once-so-yearned-for peacefulness just irked him, made him edgy and clumsy because it meant more time and clearness to think. About life in general. About the future. Or maybe about the weird things he'd been feeling, like the assaulting rushes of happiness and perfection or the sudden fits of jealousness and possessiveness he'd been experimenting lately.

Strangely, the only constant in the equation went by the name of Chazz Princeton. Coincidence? That was the burning query here.

He'd been slowly stewing on his spot while his black haired classmate eyed that tall and pretty blond. Same when he found out Mindy had been the one to place that ugly sticker so freely on his shirt. And he'd acted without thinking both times; first, by stealing that little paper from under the other's nose, and second, by making a rather hostile comment.

No one noticed, but that wasn't the point.

He dragged his hands down his face and then covered it with them. What was happening to him?

Then again, as much as it annoyed him to not know something of this importance, he had to admit it wasn't really that bad. It wasn't even bad at all if he considered the warm feeling that washed over him whenever Chazz smirked or simply stared at him. Hell, even just looking at the guy made his stomach ache — well, not ache in the literal sense.

Flutter was more like it. He thought about that sunset on the lake, and about the smile he'd earned for being a good student; the hesitant smile peeking on pale lips after his and Rachel's encounter. He rested his chin on his palm distractedly and sighed, this time with a extremely pleased but subtle beam on his face, and once again asked himself the same question.

What was happening to him?

"My, my, someone's completely out of it today. Stupidly in love, much?" The older woman chuckled at him and took a crispy bite from a chocolate cookie.

Oh-oh...

"Ah, looks like I hit the nail." Okay...considering...not to mention the...so, that meant...

He straightened up a little. "Hey Gab. Can I ask you something?"

His boss offered him a calm but curious face and replied softly without breaking eye-contact. "Of course you can, kiddo." Any tension in his system evaporated just as his shoulders slumped. The solemn air around her told him she would answer him seriously. He didn't know if that made him feel better or simply worse.

"I got a friend, and...uh...he's been acting real weird lately." Now a bit nervous, he licked his lips and frowned, trying to find the words to describe his current situation without giving too much away and still make it simple to understand. "He gets possessive and jealous around another, um...friend of mine. And he-" Damn, it was hard. "-he says his chest always feels kinda funny every time he and my friend are together. What...what does that mean? Does it mean he's..."

Gabriel stared at him for a while, wearing the same blank expression, unblinking. In a very simple and blunt manner, she finally responded. "It means you're in love, Jaden."

He didn't even bother denying anything. The woman saw right through his pathetically sketched hypothetical situation easily, but he really hadn't been expecting any less. In times like that, he found himself feeling deeply thankful for her honesty.

"And this friend of yours. Does _she_ know?"

The bold questioning note in her voice as she dragged the word out was his undoing. She was giving him the opportunity to clarify what she probably already knew, or at least suspected. Fear seeped in to enfold tightly around his heart and he could feel how his throat slowly closed in on itself, obstructing...chocking. He would only be completely sincere if he admitted he didn't know how she'd react. He just couldn't imagine her reaction, or what he'd make of it if it turned out to be distastefulness. Even if he didn't understand what was so terribly wrong about the whole thing.

Spelled backwards or not, common or unusual, different or imperfectly perfect — love is love, in his opinion. If you're willing to die or live through hell for someone, then it doesn't really matter what or who they are. Because true love has the righteous honor of being such a divine rarity in life for us to be worrying about something as trivial as gender.

So... "I don't know. I haven't told him anything." He raised his gaze and fixed it steadily on hers, gauging her response by her expressions.

She just looked down at the ground and frowned. "Oh..."

Her reaction was very simple, comprehensible even, and still his heart broke meekly at the sight. Shrank down explosively, shattered into million pieces that blew off to hide in humble shame because her rejection was his worst fear come true. Well, the second worst.

Chazz' was always lurking around the corner. With every fiber of his soul, he truly wished he'd never said anything in the first place.

"I'll..." Tears were pinching in his eyes viciously no matter how tight he closed them. "I'll understand if you find me disgusting now, I just-"

When she slapped him unexpectedly, a wave of relief washed over him; the pain and the silence came with impeccable timing and offered great solace since he had nothing else in mind to add to that. "No! Don't be stupid!" Her voice was hurt and shaky as she hissed those words. "You know me, I wouldn't do that." She rested her warm hands over both of his cheeks to level his eyes to hers, a sweet smile on her lips. "Jaden, I could never."

The shame he experienced at that was incredible, strange as that sounded; so hateful and soothing at the same time. He hated himself for being so foolish, and he almost didn't fit inside his own body at the release those three affirmations offered him.

She really was amazing.

"It's just that I..." Gab let go of him and scratched her head. "It sounds silly, I know, but I kinda already pictured myself babysitting your beautiful kids and laughing at you whenever your angry wife kicked you out. You know...that kind of stuff."

A dagger shot up his side so suddenly it squeezed the wind out of him. Hearing that made him realize a very annoying and true fact. He never really thought about all those simple but important things he was giving up. Then again, it wasn't like he'd had all the time to think about it 'cause he kinda figured it out like, 5 seconds ago, so...

Still, regardless of how many wonderful things he was sacrificing, Chazz was more than worth it. He placed a hand over his chest, over his heart as if to soothe it back to peacefulness, and nodded mentally, feeling the most confident he'd ever had.

Yeah. That was what his heart's lone true desire. Of that he was sure, more than anything.

"So...who"s the lucky bastard?" She seemed to recall something because her expression faltered slightly, incredulity burning in her eyes as she stared up at him with wide eyes. "It's not that cute shortie in glasses you're always with, is it?"

"Who?" Maybe he was a moron after all 'cause it took him a little while to relate. "Syrus? No! No, of course not!" He could've gagged; and he almost did. Thinking of Sy in that way was like...like...

Like thinking about a 90 years old lady washing a car in a bikini, if he could borrow one of Atticus' expressions.

"No, he's a friend from school. His name's Chazz." In a mocking, James Bond voice, he added, "Chazz Princeton."

"Oh, thank God. I was kinda worried, but the name alone sounds hot as hell." He nodded in a way that clearly stated 'Yep, he so is', making Gab and even himself laugh at the silliness of it all. Then

again, his nerves had him shivering all over the place, his mind too jumpy to tell the funny comments apart from the normal ones.

For the life of him, he just couldn't remember if he'd ever introduced Chazz to his boss. It seemed like he hadn't.

"You haven't seen him around? He's very tall, with black hair and penetrating gray eyes and-"

"Whoa, whoa, slow down, Mr. Hooked-out-of-his-freaking-mind..." She patted his shoulder and smiled up at him. "Why don't you just bring him someday and introduce us?" Hm, he had to admit she had a point. "Wait, does he even have a clue or..."

"Well..." Jaden's gaze skated across the ceiling and towards the street outside the window before coming to rest on her. "Let's just say he really wants to believe he doesn't."

--

Gab had been helping a costumer and he'd been cleaning the tables and arranging everything back into place; couldn't have been more than 7 o'clock.

Chazz walked through the door.

As soon as he saw him, he shot Gabriel a insinuative look and nodded at the door stubbornly using even his eyebrows; she glanced at the newcomer and feigned ignorance just as he turned towards her. Jaden almost knocked over a table in his hurry to get there. "Hey man, how you doin'?" The petite brunette was beside him in a sec.

"Oh-la-la, you must be Chazz...I heard a lot about you." She eyed the black-haired teens tall form up and down quickly, glancing at Jaden with a small knowing smile before nodding approvingly, like she was the judge on an important bakery contest and Chazz was the hot n' crispy apple and cinnamon pie she'd gone nuts for, but didn't show much of a reaction for mere professionalism.

A deliciously vanilla and toffee scented pie.

The ridiculous reflection made him laugh, unfortunately for him not mentally because he was half-expecting her to kiss the fingertips of one of her hands and say 'Benissimo!' or something like that. Even if he was high with mirth as he laughed hard and loud right between Gab and Chazz, their taken back looks were more than enough to silence him instantly.

And then he laughed some more, just for good measure. His actions after that were unacknowledged, ignored even, the two of them resuming the conversation casually. Good thing they both knew him well. "I'm Gabriel," She reached up ruffled his hair lightly; whatever she could reach, anyway. "-this goofy little bugger's boss and owner of this charming, old business."

His classmate seized her stretched-out hand in a delicate, smooth move that kinda stroked him as a scene cut out straight from one of those princess movies or something like that. "Jaden's friends get to call me Gab, either way."

"Nice place you're running here, miss." If Chazz had Gabriel charmed beyond belief by his appearance alone, then he definitely had her wrapped around his finger now with the charismatic smirk he threw her way. "Though, I really have to say..." He slipped his hands into his pockets and pointed at Jaden with his nose. "The service is kinda lacking."

Jaden rolled his eyes and smiled. Both of them kept on mocking him after that, and he simply let them be.

'Cause hey, if you can't laugh at yourself, then who can you laugh at?

(End of Chapter 11)

---

If you promise not to kill me, then I'll tell you a little secret. Next chapter's gonna be pretty exciting...if you know what I mean. *winks*


	12. I'm Going Slightly Mad

**Authoress' Note:** Finally I get to use my filthy, perverted mind for some of the good old fashioned masculine fantasies. Well, without the...uh, you know what I mean. A treat for you, dirty, dirty girls**.  
Summary: **(AU fic) When you suddenly find your life shattered, you learn that love can be found in the most unpredictable places. Takes place through their last year of high school, so if you're looking for a Duel monsters story, this is not for you. ChazzJaden  
**Pairings:** ChazzJaden and one-sided JadenAster, a bit of JesseJaden, but there'll be other pairings as well...

**Warning:** Suggestive, steamy dream situations. Be warned! Reading beyond this point **AND** complaining would be massively stupid.

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu Gi Oh GX, its characters or any of the songs mentioned. Ah, I just love the title. Nothing like good-old Queen.

* * *

Chapter 12

"**I'm Going Slightly Mad"**

Next day at school was definitely not easy. Hell, a dead end would have been easier to sort out, in his opinion.

All those new-found feelings were slowly but surely twisting his mind into one messy knot, and considering he'd only had them for a few hours, it seemed he had something like an insanity-sentence over his head. It felt like years or even centuries had gone by since Gab snatched the veil from over his head, and even if time had passed by like that, he knew he'd still be unable to believe he hadn't seen all that coming.

Yeah, he did find himself feeling and thinking things that were more out-of-place than freaking Nowhere every now and then, but by no means did that concept pass by his head solidly.

There are times when an outsider's point of view comes in handy.

Either way, he took all the time in the world to contemplate the way all the tiny flakes of light that squeezed in between the branches printed sunlight parches all over Chazz's pale face in this messy, picturesque fashion, like pieces of some mystical, breath-taking puzzle. It seemed fitting, in the middle of a sunny yet windy day as they were. He knew the other was talking to him about something because his lips were moving...

What was it again...?

The question was on the tip of his tongue when his friend snapped his fingers in front of his face. "...Jaden, back to earth, please. Next time I won't be as kind. I **will** slap you." He threw an eye-roll at him on his way to his feet, fairly annoyed by the looks of it.

Jaden only frowned amusedly, tracing every move the taller one made with his gaze. "Where are you going?" Chazz scowled down at him and arranged his clothes nonchalantly, glancing around with sun-stricken eyes. He followed his example.

Now that he looked, they were pretty much alone there, sitting on the large steps that guarded the main gates. "_We_ are going to your house. Apparently, you can only learn these things when you're miles away from school, which I find really stupid and so very _you..."_ The brunet offered no resistance at all against the hand that yanked him up by his shirt.

Wouldn't be able to, even if he wanted, which he did not.

"Come on. We have to stop by my house and get my notebook first."

* * *

He was beginning to think that no matter how many times he saw it, that enormous mansion would always amaze the heck outta him. Still, he tried to act like it was the first time by not holding back his awestruck expression. It was hard for him to understand how could his friend act so casual in such palace, like it was nothing out of the ordinary, like it was you average, everyday house.

For him, it probably was.

As soon as the high, imposing gates were unsealed before them, the black, _giant_ Dobermans he'd seen earlier came running from the other side of the house to greet their master. One of them came up and rested its front paws on Chazz' chest while the other sat down beside him and kinda leaned on him affectionately.

For a lost moment, the natural gloom surrounding his classmate at all times was chased away by the light of a rare smile.

His own heart slammed wildly against his ribcage at the sight. It was one of those simple, unexpected things that could make you happier than something meaningful but foreseen.

"Chazz!" A soft, female voice reached them, and even if it wasn't him that was being called, he still looked around, perplexed, trying to pinpoint its location. The youngest Princeton found it with just a turn of his head. From the beautiful front doors, he saw a short lady in a impeccable, somewhat elegant maid uniform staring at them, hands on her hips; sinking back into his hazy memories that had anything to do with that good-looking jerk, he recognized her as the woman who welcomed Chazz the night they first met.

A shooting star he'd just barely managed to catch in a stroke of sheer luck.

The 'star' carefully set the dog back on the ground and straightened up, probably already preparing himself for the beating he was about to receive. They approached him with zero hesitation and started sniffing him feet and hands, righteously curious and wary about a stranger; he released the breath he'd been holding slowly. If there was one thing his father had taught him before passing away, it was to never let animals sense any kind of fear. He held out a hand that got sniffed briefly first, and rested it over a pair of perky ears.

When they sat down around him, most likely demanding a pet or a treat, he knew he'd been approved.

Meanwhile, the woman strolled down to where they were, the expression of half-hearted anger and indignation so common in scolding mothers blazing on her face. "Please, don't tell me you two walked all the way here." She circled her gaze between them twice and finally settled on the older boy. "You could've called for someone to pick you up, you know, that's not-"

The dark haired teen learned towards her and opened his mouth in a gentle, silencing manner. He smiled with his eyes at her the second her speech begun faltering. "Nice to see you, too." She seemed to calm down at his harmless, sorta apologizing reply. "I only came to get some stuff." An upward turn of eyebrows and a teasing smirk escorted his next words. "Besides, walking is good for the heart, isn't it?"

He'd be damned. The guy even managed to get a helpless smile out of the fuming lady.

Yeah, Chazz Princeton could definitely come out of any sticky situation using only his charming nature and charisma.

"Bea, this is Jaden." He pressed his luck and aimed a shy grin at the her; much to his surprise, she beamed back and bowed slightly. Chazz turned to him. "Jaden, this is Beatrix. She's pretty much in charge of me, now."

--

He honestly didn't think it'd be possible, but the interior of that mansion awed him even more than the outside. And that _really_ was a lot to say. He didn't even notice his friend had gone upstairs until he glanced around to ask him where they were hiding the gigantic roller coaster and the McDonnalds, only to notice the spot he'd stood at just seconds ago empty.

Jaden gulped — the entrance hall looked even bigger now that he found himself completely alone. Great...

How the hell would he find his way back?

Walking a little further in, he reached some kind of living-room that made him feel as big as a smurf. The copper-brown leather couches appeared to be real comfy, as well as the long black one sitting at the farthest end, the high-ceiling was neat and the TV...man, it was big enough to be used in movie theaters. It was pretty damn sweet. Wandering and snooping in a strange house (a huge one, at that) was high on the list of wrong and he knew it, but it wasn't like he was going through someone's drawers or anything.

No, he was content enough with just gawking.

He came to stand in front of a elegant, classic ebony bookshelf that held all kinds of stuff; everything but books, ironically. What interested him the most, though, were the two pictures that sat there. A woman whose appearance could only be described as hauntingly beautiful stared back at him from the silver-rimmed window that held her portrait, the intensity of her dark bluish-gray gaze warded him off to the point of almost taking a step back, and yet, the splendor of her smile worked as an irresistible charm, drawing him in like a magnet would to a small defenseless paper-clip.

The strength of both emotions was driving him nuts; the impossible balance on the scale left him floating inside a thick, awed-haze that felt so familiar. Oh, it was familiar, alright. He eyed everything there was to see twice, from the delicate, peach lips and perfectly chiseled nose, to the long midnight hair brushing past her shoulders.

With all certainty, he could say that was the most gorgeous woman he'd ever seen.

In the second frame, he saw the same stunning angel sitting next to a imposing, deep-gazed man; still, no matter how serious and intimidating he seemed, the laughter-wrinkles on his the corners of his eyes gave his good nature away. With an air of mischievousness on his all-but-smiling face, Chazz stood behind them, in the heart of the picture, flanked by two other taller, older and so very similar-looking men. He blushed and glanced away, fighting with the urge to hit his head against the nearest wall.

Embarrassment or not, he couldn't help but to notice the very obvious fact that Chazz looked even more handsome in a formal clothes.

His eyes drifted back to the portrait of who he guessed had been Mrs. Princeton. There was something about her that he simply couldn't shake, something he might be forgetting, or should be remembering...

"Your eyes will dry and fall off if you don't blink anytime soon, boy." To say he was completely spooked out of his skin would be an understatement. He turned around, still buried in his haze, and stared gapingly at the woman he now recognized as Beatrix.

A strangled, nervous laugh was all he could manage after being able to take his eyes off the picture and. "I-I'm sorry..."

The lady gazed at him intensely, face unreadable, her words chilling him to the bone for some strange reason. "You know what happened." It wasn't even a question. He nodded uneasily.

In the pretty bizarre heart-spilling mood, he started explaining, really, _truly_ willing the woman to understand. "It's just that...he doesn't really say that much about what he thinks or feels..."

_'Doesn't say anything at all is more like it...'_

"And...I just want to help him in any way I can." There was pain in his voice, unending sincerity on his eyes and so much sense to his words that he could almost feel the surprise coming off the woman in waves.

Nevertheless, he had nothing to be worried about, for he'd spoken no lies. Couldn't lie when it came to Chazz, and the hurt oozing from him backed that up more than anything he might have to say, either way.

The yearn for that level of trust was sometimes overwhelming, of course. Because he wished to be that close and he wanted to help, but more than anything, he wanted Chazz to be happy. Precisely why he shallowed past the lump in his throat and said, "She really was beautiful."

His simple statement seemed to be expected by her, since she answered him almost instantly. "She was." Her vivid eyes nailed into him, a thin yet notorious screen of playfulness over their surface. He didn't see it from where he stood, though. "You can tell by looking at Chazz, don't you think?"

Judging by the way she grinned when his back tensed up like a ruler and his face lit up in bright red, he knew _she knew_ she'd just struck a nerve. Stiffly, he turned around to face her. "I...uh...he's-"

"Hey slacker, let's go!"

Oh, there he was...

* * *

Unconsciously, his eyes slithered over the walls, the ceiling, all the way towards the wooden counter where he could see Jaden working. _'Whoa...n_ever_ thought I'd use the words_ **Jaden** _and_ **working** _in the same sentence.'_

Then again, he never thought he'd ever be stalking every single one of the slacker's moves like he was doing right then. He couldn't believe the way the guy was dashing back and forth and taking other people's orders while wearing the most pleasant and cheerful smile, but he was particularly unable to understand how he didn't feel the weight of his stare on him.

The dork didn't glance around or fidget under his gaze — it seemed like it was bouncing off of him or something.

Jaden poured stuff from different containers into a blender in a very experienced way, adding sized spoonfuls of this and that like it was a witch's pot on Halloween. However, just when he thought the other was actually good at something that didn't involve a French fries or TV, the idiot turned the blender on without putting on the top; undoubtedly, the whole contents leaped out and right into his clothes, covering his chest and arms.

And what did he, _the_ Chazz Princeton do? Why, he raised his head heavenwards and crackled his way into tears, of course.

The slacker snapped his head towards the source of the familiar laughter and stared intently at him in disbelief, vivid beet-red dusted over his cheeks delicately. He tried to move around in order to clean the mess he'd made, and kinda ended up knocking a bottle of liquid chocolate over, splashing a long, dark brown line and several dots over his face and neck. "Aw, dammit!"

The older teen roared with laughter. "Now all you have to do is add some whipped cream and you'll be ready to go!" He gasped out in between his hysterical bursts of amusement, attacks that became even more frenzied when the brunet finally joined him in his laughter.

Since the couple waiting for their coffees or whatever had chosen to sit on a small table in front of the counter, they missed out on all the fun. He, thanks to God, did not. It was all safely tucked into his memory now, where he could replay it over and over whenever he felt gloomy.

--

Jaden managed to get the order done before the customers flipped him the bird and stormed off, something he kinda had been looking forward to see. He decided he might as well leave the poor idiot alone for a while 'cause next time his mental retardation could also involve a fork and a in-plug for all he knew. Contrary to popular belief, that was not something he wanted to witness.

He was just starting to like the moron, after all.

Another sip of what he could almost swear to be some sort of addictive drug made specially for him forced him to sigh and glance around in an extremely pleased haze; a new song began playing in the background. This time around, he actually knew it. Def Leppard was one of his favorite hard rock bands. One of the few that actually understood and channeled the real essence of rock n' roll.

So, yeah...cheesy and random crap aside, that song was pretty damn awesome.

Simply for the sake of reassurance, he steered his gaze slowly in the slacker's direction. It didn't take long to find him. The music kept on rocking on kinda distantly now, the lyrics reaching him in an extremely annoying way that made him want to slap it all away like a bothersome fly swarming above his head.

_**'...razzle and dazzle and flash a little light . Television lover baby, go all night. Sometime, **_**anytime****_, sugar me sweet . Little miss oh innocent sugar me, yeah!...'_**

Still in sight, he had his back turned on the counter with his arm up in front of him like he was examining it. From where he sat he could only see a fraction of the moron's profile. Not much but enough to notice the weird faraway look gracing his normally smooth features while he studied his brown-stained limb. It was intriguing to say the least, that expression, probably because he'd never ever seen it before.

_**'Come on! Take a bottle, shake it up. Break the bubble, break it all...'**_

Most likely unaware of the attention he was receiving, the other brought his forearm even closer to his face.

_**'Pour some sugar on me, **_**oh**_**, in the name of love. Pour some sugar on me, c'mon fire me up. '**_

Then it happened. Definitely not something he'd been expecting to see. Slender yet full peachy lips parted in allowance as a pink, almost kitten-like tongue peeked out to reap all the chocolate within reach, dragging over his skin and following the slim dark brown all the way down to his wrist.

Things got a little too bizarre for his taste after that.

_**'Pour some sugar on me, o**_**h****_, I can't get enough .'_**

His ears grew warm and buzzing, his face and hands were sweaty, the walls of his throat and practically his whole effing mouth became bone-dry in what seemed to be the shortest moment in the entire history of freaking suddenness.

Still, he quickly realized all those things were trivial if he scanned the bigger picture, only 'cause he had the skills needed to ignore every single one of them. What he definitely could not block out in any possible way, though, was the tickling, feverish sensation pooling just beneath his belly-button — especially when he recognized the feeling.

_**'I'm **_**hot****_, sticky sweet, from my head to my feet, yeah... '_**

His eyes widened to the size of plates. Jaden swept his fingers across his cheek in a lazy manner that kinda stroked him as teasing (which of course could be blamed on the situation), and guided them into his mouth absentmindedly. Chazz gulped the impossibly heavy dryness down.

And just when he thought it wouldn't get any worse, the moron slid one fingertip down a small line of chocolate over his neck and lapped at it with his cute little tongue. He closed his eyes and sighed along with the stupidly sensual brunet. Jaden sighed for the blissful taste and he did because...well, for the same reason, if you will.

_**'...mirror queen, mannequin, rhythm of love. Sweet dreams, saccharine, loosen up. You gotta squeeze a little, squeeze a little, tease a little more...' **_

Finally and like he should've done in the very first place, he turned away, cramming his head rather violently against the table in order to get the images out of his mind. His abdomen cramped up tinglingly again when the lyrics and the meaning for the words sunk in. What a freaking convenient song. Really...

"Thanks for the coffee, slacker. See you in school." Having said all that in less than a second and a half, he breezed past the counter and left a pretty startled and confused Jaden behind.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

A nice and cold shower was his first stop once he got home. The thick streams of icy water flowed freely from the tips of his midnight spikes, creating several, tiny rivers that soothed the muscles over his chest, down the small of his back and caressed the now too sensitive skin tenderly. He shook his head to cast the excess water off his hair and face and jammed his forehead against the title.

He knew he had sort out what happened back at the cafeteria or else his head would explode because of the amount of stuff going through it, but he just couldn't bring himself to deal with any chocolate-related topics at the moment.

It probably was nothing. A little mess-up caused by the unhealthy levels of caffeine on his bloodstream, the lack of sleep nightmares usually bring and probably the aftermath of...nightly loneliness, you might say.

In the longest and most awkward silence ever he dried off, changed into a white tee and a pair of baggy pants and slipped into bed. The sheets felt chilly and unfamiliar at first, so he obeyed the sudden urge and curled into himself and the warming cocoon he managed to wrap around his body.

The deep forlornness that settled in right after the cold was gone wasn't that much of an uncommon feeling for him — lately, it was more like he couldn't picture himself without it burning a hole into his chest. If he added the sense of misplacement he'd been carrying along for weeks, then he had the perfect recipe for insanity. Yep, his thoughts had finally succeeded in driving him fucking batty.

Like, _poking-your-eyes-out _batty_,_ or apparently _homosexual-day-dream_ batty. He shuddered. Either way, it wasn't like insanity hadn't already called his number before. That ship had sailed, for all he knew; kissed goodbye lovingly, even.

-----

_The room smelt nice — like vanilla and soap, a faint yet intoxicating sweetness hanging in the warm air, thick enough to be tasted, almost like sugary steam. A short lamp meant for nightstand tables sat shyly on a corner, aiding the single white candle on the table near the tub with the great but kinda unacknowledged task of keeping the shadows of night at bay._

_There was no hesitation in his mind or in his actions as he slid a hand forward, splitting the creamy screen of bubbles with his fingers on the way, and rested his fully open palm over a smooth, evenly tanned back. Once his palm and the skin beneath it evened out in temperature, he pressed down his index while lifting all of the others off, and dragged it down with just the right amount of pressure until it touched pale foam and water. A long, contented sigh was his only response. _

_He definitely needed more than that. _

_Reaching back blindly, he grabbed a bottle, the squeezable kind actually, and brought it closer for examination. It was filled with melted-down chocolate. He smirked. Never in life were things, (important or useful things) any easy to find when needed and he knew it; however, he did find something important and very useful right now at arm-reach so he was rather grateful. Anyway, who really gave a flying fuck, right? _

_Didn't make it any less better. Or important or useful. Oh yes, he had a thing for redundancy. So what?_

_Back to the very inviting back and chocolate bottle in his hand..._

_The first time he poured some, high up where the spine started to stick out but not so much as to be bothered by the hair, he merely watched as it slithered down freely. Gravity drove it downwards in a slow, steady rhythm that decreased when it reached the curve just above the tail-bone, almost reaching the water. _Then_ he licked it all the way up in one quick stroke, earning a hitch of breath and what sounded like a suppressed moan. _

_It was by far the sexiest thing he'd ever heard. _

_Off of a warm body, chocolate tasted a billion times better. Another thing he could be certain about. _

_The tub was not huge, but it was large enough for two to sit comfortably. Still, they were hunched up in a small space, him on the middle while his company sat nearby on top of folded knees, arms on the edge and back facing him. Again, he tipped the bottle and drew careless patterns over the skin, gracing everything twice with his gentle gaze before licking it clean. After measuring the pleased reactions he got, he scooted forward until his chest was glued to a kinda sticky back and dropped a few lazy kisses on the shoulders, working his way up to the neck. _

_Once he reached the nape, he brushed his nose against the hairs on the base and blew a lungful of hot breath that ruffled them slightly. He kissed the hollow under the jawbone; then, without warning, he tilted his head up and nibbled playfully on a tender earlobe. _

_The body attached to him tensed, shivered and shifted in delight. Even if it felt pretty awesome to know he was the one to trigger all those sensations, and the movements created such delicious friction that made him screw his eyes shut tight and hurl into himself heatedly, it wasn't what he wanted. _

_It was the sounds that he craved, and dammit if he wasn't gonna get his name called out in screams before the night was over. Feeling mischievous and probably kinda frustrated as hell too, he withdrew just the few inches he needed in order to turn the other around rather roughly, and pinned him there by the shoulders. The water around them stirred and sprung out of the tub, making small noises that went unnoticed. _

_A pair of caramel, brilliant gemstones met his own silver ones in amused defiance, his smirk mirrored as soon as it split his handsome face. They stayed like that for a while longer, reading into the expressions and memorizing each detail like there was a test awaiting at the end and the facial features, the feelings ghosting over deep stares were the important foot-lines that held all the answers. _

_He would only be telling the truth if he said he couldn't possibly remember who leaned in first. Smirks faded gradually, gazes grew half-lidded and dilated and the world outside that room became more and more meaningless the closer they got to each other. By the time he was a sigh away from his destination, he was breathing quite raggedly, his own short pants bouncing back into his mouth because of the proximity. His hands backed off from the other's shoulders and rested instinctively on the bone-white rim of the tub for some support._

_The first stroke of that angelic mouth against his began to slowly extinct the agonizing thirst he seemed to have been suffering ever since the very first time he laid eyes on such beautiful creature. It was amazing. He pulled away a bit to examine those gorgeous butterscotch orbs, to study the longing and affection trapped there, and out peeked briefly that little rosy tongue to sweep over kiss-swollen lips. Not wasting any more priceless seconds, he dipped his head down again and clashed his mouth against the other's. _

_This time around, he was granted precious entrance._

_He literally savored heaven, maybe the faintest hint of chocolate, too. The more he tasted and explored, the hungrier he became, like he couldn't get enough of it, even if he tried — the best taste ever; a mixture that he couldn't quite pin-place with all certainty. It wasn't exactly sweet like sugar because he was able to sense the salt of sweat and the sourness of soapy water, but it was a little bit of everything and yet, like nothing he'd ever eaten or smelt in his seventeen years of existence._

_It was simply perfect. _

_The kiss was slow and scrumptious from the first mouthful to the last. _

_However, like all the great things in life, it had to come to an end; both of them struggled for air as soon as they parted, feeling lightheaded and with the sensation of floating away like helium-filled balloons. The weirdest part of it all was probably the fact that he had mastered the art of breathing through his nose while kissing years ago. _

_A single look into those huge, crystal clear eyes and he swore he couldn't care less. _

_Laying one more chaste kiss on those peachy lips before anything else, he began to adore his way down, passing the cherry-red cheeks, the clenched jaw and stopped when he reached the neck. He nuzzled it lovingly and then traced a long, merciless lick across the speeding pulse against his nose. It earned him a startled jolt, a hand wrapped tight over his shoulder and a strange mixture between a snicker and a gasp. He buried his face into the warm skin and laughed lightly, in a way he didn't remember hearing from himself in years. _

_It died down kinda quickly, just as laughter shook the chest he was leaning into. The feeling cooking inside him only increased, though. _

_Everything hanged in a split second, like time kept on rolling by within its natural course but his mind didn't, detached from him at some point and was still trying to catch up. And judging by the scorching, writhing body beneath him, the slickness of wet flesh over flesh and the mouth panting his name over and over against his ear, it was a pretty damn nice scene to pop into. _

_One slow roll of hips and he was able to see the stars hiding behind the roof. A hot, maddening sensation enveloped him whole, swallowing what was left of his self-control just as those narrow, soft hips pushed down to meet his, and the sheer pleasure of it all ripped a sharp gasp out of his throat almost automatically. A pair of warm hands came up to rest over his neck, under his ears where the skin is the most sensitive, and lips began to press light kisses over his jaw, cheeks and closed lids. _

_Another wave of that bizarre, amazing feeling washed over him and made him forget who he was, at least for a second. He lifted his heavy eyelids just a little and sought out the other's soul the only way he could — through misty and glassy cinnamon pools. Passion had now dimmed their colour into the most beautiful brown he'd ever seen; it reminded him of classic, dark chocolate. _

_The ethereal contact didn't last long. Suddenly, a rasp of breath followed by the most tuneful moan caused him to release a grunt of his own. The faintest clench and a inconsistent wall of pure white flashed by his eyes. Without any restraints and when he was at his most vulnerable, he voiced the last word that came through his mind before he saw stars dancing behind his eyes a second later. _

"_Jaden..." _

_He held the body above him with care when it turned into a boneless, shivering heap against him, melding like hot wax over his chest and the curve of his shoulders until the buzzing was gone and they could breathe again. _

_---_

At exactly a quarter past five in the morning, Chazz Princeton opened his eyes wide, the images of his dream still rolling in the back of his head, as existent as the aching hard-on he was currently sporting. He laid there for about a minute, frozen in the spot in sheer disbelief, replaying everything right up to the end. When the pieces came together and his mind matched the name he'd so passionately called out with a face, he literally screamed his head out, so hard he almost couldn't believe it didn't explode like popcorn.

Some sort of self-defense mechanism kicked in instantly and he pulled the covers over his head. His shriek didn't cease, though.

Somewhere along the line, his frightful screech morphed into words. One word. "No, no, no, no, no..." His whole thesaurus meant absolutely nothing to him, like it was wiped clean off his hard disk, along with the entire freaking alphabet except for those two letters, his lips pushing out that simple monosyllable, wearing off its meaning and burning out whatever air he might have left in his lungs.

Now quiet and pretty confident he was done with the shrieking, he peeked his head from under the covers and took a deep breath; sweetness clung to his tongue and he tasted vanilla.

He screamed again.

(End Of Chapter 12)

* * *

I bet you're all wondering, 'how can that bitch live with herself?', and the answer is: just freaking barely...


	13. Have You Ever Needed Someone So Bad

**Authoress' Note:** Short chap, I know, and I have absolutely no comments about it, kids.**  
Summary: **(AU fic) When you suddenly find your life shattered, you learn that love can be found in the most unpredictable places. Takes place through their last year of high school, so if you're looking for a Duel monsters story, this is not for you. ChazzJaden**  
Pairings:** ChazzJaden and one-sided JadenAster, a bit of JesseJaden, but there'll be other pairings as well.

Warnings: If you read last chapter, then what's the freaking point, right?

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu Gi Oh GX, its characters or any of the songs mentioned. Def Leppard owns both the title & the lyrics entwined in the chapter, and if you haven't listened to this one song, then you're a very, very sad person. I also recommend "Bringin' On The Heartbreak" while you're at it. *grins*

* * *

Chapter 13

"**Have You Ever Needed Someone So Bad"**

_**Here I am, I'm on the wrong bed again,****  
It's a game I just can't win.****There you are, breathing soft on my skin,****  
Still you won't let me in.  
So close...**_

Once he was truly, truly convinced he was done with his mentally-ill fit, he covered his embarrassing state with the sheets and waited. When no one came in to stuff a boot down his throat, he searched the house for any signs of life. He checked on Slade's room. Empty. Jagger's, empty. Not even Bea was in her room. He had been alone in the enormous mansion all along.

And in all honesty, he couldn't decide if he should be thankful about that or not.

If he was alone, then he could throw himself off the stairs over and over until he either forgot who he was and who he'd just dreamed about (couldn't bring himself to blurt out the name yet), or broke his neck so he couldn't dream anymore. If his brothers had been in their rooms, sleeping or whatever, then at least someone would've been there to tell the cops he was too crazy for his own good and lock him up in some fancy mental institution for being the brain-sick little bastard that he was.

Because he was having insanely sexy dreams about a stupid moron and he apparently didn't seem to be able to help himself and he was torn between taking it all on or taking the dementia road with yet another bridge awaiting at the end and he was going nuts, for fuck's sake!

Coo coo for cocoa-puffs. Out of his fucking mind. Utterly and painfully crazy 'cause what other explanation could there be?

A regular guy doesn't just wake up in the morning to randomly find he's attracted to other dudes, right? It just didn't happen, couldn't happen, especially when said guy's head-over-heels in love with a girl!

A drop dead gorgeous, intelligent and simply great girl.

His eyes squeezed shut instinctively to lock out any possible images. It didn't work since the first thing he saw, even before darkness, was that serene and angelic face and those smiling eyes that felt like staring into home if held for more than two seconds, looking right at him.

"Great...now I'm getting romantic!" Oh, he wanted to die. In this scrutinizingly painful way he had yet to think of. All because of some stupid dream. One that was pretty much the most perfect arousing scene, with the bath and the candles and even the chocolate.

Only he doesn't happen to find a sexy, amber-eyed blond there with him. No, of course not! He finds the slacker instead!

_'Isn't that the __most hilarious freaking thing_?' he thought as he let hysteria overcome him and laughed the hardest he had in years.

The amusement died down in a split second; realization clicked into his mind. Did that mean he was...

"No! No, no, no!" He was still straight. He was into girls. Man did not turn him on, that was for sure. Something began fluttering inside his stomach — insistent, annoying...so painfully assuring.

No way. Butterflies flipping around or not, he was Chazz Princeton so doubts at that point were completely out of question.

Even if he'd known him for weeks, almost two months now, that moron was nothing but a stranger to him. One that he'd made the mistake of letting in so quickly for reasons that might not be his fault. Still, he was the one who screwed up.

_**Why save your kisses for a rainy day?  
Baby let the moment take your heart away.**_

Anyway, he could cut off any links with him if he wanted to. Pff...hands down. He could wipe that little spot off his resume without batting an eye. And even if he rather liked the guy and the bitter sensation that consumed him whole at the mere thought of ending their friendship was almost unbearable, it meant nothing to him.

Yeah, he would do it the very next time he saw the brunet and then he would ask to get translated to a private school where nobody knew him or cared about him in the least. He shallowed with difficulty. None of that mattered to him.

Not even the things he'd learned to feel and cherish, like the kindness-tasting cups of coffee, the sincere smiles or that happy, comforting home-gaze.

–

And after an entire night of trying endlessly to convince himself he wanted all those things, all those changes, he finally settled for laying on his bed, now wide-awake and with no intention of going back to sleep, until the alarm rang and he had to get ready for school.

Because Chazz Princeton or not, those stupid butterflies were still there, and so his resolve about straightness (or not) was left to dissolve on his dead silent mind.

* * *

With shuffling, slow steps that matched the uneven rhythm of his heartbeat, he made his way to the main gates of the school. His mind was a mess, his clothes were more neat than usual and he was late big-time...he found he couldn't care less about any of it, nevertheless. Because amongst all those things, the overpowering one had to be the restiveness that made him chew his nails like a god-damned chick right now. He was very nervous. Frightened to the bones but more determined than he'd ever felt in his life.

The confusion and the insomnia it brought along had served their purpose since he'd really, _really_ thought it all through last night. Every single damn thing.

He was going to tell Chazz how he felt.

It was out of his hands now; probably always had been. He was so freaking scared and it made him feel lightheaded as hell. It didn't matter, though, not even the potential threat of losing Chazz, even as a friend, forever. And he talked about losing already because there was just no way they could go on, acting like nothing ever happened after something like that.

After he dropped a bomb that size on him, on _them._ Not to mention this was Chazz Princeton being considered, here.

It was a dreadfully drastic, tricky decision, of course, and there was so much that could get lost if he followed through, but there was no way he could go on like this, either; with all the anxiety and the pain and the longing that would surely drive him crazy.

He had to know. He needed an answer _today_, whether it was yes or no, acceptance or rejection — happiness or heartbreak. The more he thought about it, the more tired and eager he became.

_**Have you ever needed someone so bad?  
****Have you ever wanted someone you just couldn't have?  
Did you ever try so hard, that your world just fell apart? **_

The door slid under his palm lightly, unnoticed by him until the weight of 30 or so stares fixed completely on him brought him back to reality. One peek to his right and he found the teacher's desk empty.

Another peek around, and he released the stale breath from his lungs in a soft rush. He only had the first and the last period with Chazz, and he'd chosen to tell him at the end of the first to receive his response in the last (or most likely just get a hard, dumbfounded punch and no concrete answer at all).

Only he wasn't there. He glanced around again and confirmed his dreaded suspicion. Dammit...that thwarted the whole plan. And if he said that saddened him, he'd be lying his face off.

Maybe it was a sign. Perhaps he shouldn't, _really_ shouldn't do it. Not that he was normally superstitious or anything, but maybe he was today. Oh hell, he had to.

Classes, that one in particular, they pretty much went by like a snap; at least, that was what it felt like for him. Finally, (_God, no_) it was time for lunch break, where he'd definitely see **him**. Again, he couldn't decide if that was good or bad. He could tell Chazz now and wait until the end of the day for him to make up his mind.

Walking quickly (not running, no) into the cafeteria and towards their usual table, he wiped his head in all directions and scanned every face. He was about to ask Sy if he'd seen the youngest Princeton when he caught a glimpse of that outstandingly spiked, black head towering above every other. The guy was on his way to the other door, the one that lead straight to the yard, wearing the longest and most tormented face he could possibly have.

There was something about him, a far-away-air around him as he walked away with his shoulders hunched tight and his scowling gaze glued to the floor. If he were to take a not-so-wild guess, he'd say the other was storming out of that room as fast as his legs could carry him. Before he even knew what was going on, he heard himself calling out, "Hey, Chazz!", real loud all the way across the cafeteria.

No one minded him, unsurprisingly, and if he hadn't seen the way black haired teen's back stiffened or the even darker frown that appeared just as he faded from view behind the door-frame, he would have thought his voice had just gotten lost amongst the cluttering of a crowd. However, he did; could've seen it from miles.

_**Have you ever needed someone so bad?****  
And you're the one I gotta have.  
I gotta have you baby.**_

And man, if he'd felt he was scared before, then he was close to having a freaking heart attack now. He knew there was no way Chazz could've read his thoughts, especially from afar, but the more he considered that theory, the more he believed it to be real.

Or maybe it was just a coincidence. Couldn't be a sign.

"_Aw, screw the freaking signs!' _With a startle that kinda struck him as the bang of a gun giving green light on a race, he ran after him.

By the time he crossed that door, panting and with the sunlight nailing painfully into his eyes, Chazz was nowhere in sight. No surprise there, either.

–

Alright, it was settled. He wasn't gonna let Chazz run away again — not this time. Not when he stood right next to the classroom door, ready to pry him apart from the bunch, kicking and screaming if needed be. He was getting all those those things off his chest today, whether the grumpy boy liked it or not.

But the stream of people got thiner and thiner until, (numbers checked and everything), no one was missing except for two students. He growled slightly. Now he was pissed and sure of something.

Chazz was avoiding him. Turning on his heels so fast he almost stroke himself alight like a match, he set off, swearing he'd hunt that stupid, arrogant prick down, even if it was the last effing thing he ever did.

* * *

The sun stared down at him apathetically, lazily, so hard his head felt cold and his skin and scalp were more than warm now as he sat there, high up in the benches that watched over the playing field. Even if the feeling pretty much went unnoticed, it annoyed him enough to make him want to return the favor and glare back as long as his watery eyes allowed his stubborn nature to push.

He didn't last more than six seconds. Once the urge to tear up passed, he let his eyes remain closed for just a moment before fixing them on a star that, though a bit less brighter, could burn him with much more devastating effects. The tall blonde seemed unaffected by his lingering stare, since she was probably well used to being watched by every guy in a ten-mile radius. She was in a small girl-group apart from everyone else, in what appeared to be a regular P.E. class, with her sports clothes and racket.

Mesmerized, he took all the time in the world to drink in any detail he might catch from a distance. Standing casually in the middle of the entire scene like that, he couldn't help but to notice the way her natural voguish stance made her resemble the most perfect live ivory statue. It was breathtaking, to say the least. An aching jolt right in the chest reminded him of one very true and amazing fact.

He'd seen breathtaking before, and that right there, it didn't even come close. He brought a hand up to where it hurt even more now, and shook his head with a grunt.

"Dammit, slacker..." Ignoring everything else, he let his gaze fall upon the moving statue and left it there, glued fixedly yet as unseeing as blind white eyes.

_**There you go, midnight promises again,  
****But they're broken by the dawn.  
****You wanna go further, faster every day****,  
But in the morning you'll be gone.  
And I'm alone...**_

Right now, Irony to him was having his life changed completely by a piece of mind-fiction that literally came out of the freaking blue. Mild, low laughter came out of his throat instead of a frightened screech.

What would he do? What could he do after something like that? If he asked to get translated...wouldn't that be running away?

'_Running away from what?_' From an unsolvable teenage mess up? From something potentially good?

From the truth?

In a stray instant of indifference, he finally gave up the whole thought-blocking barrier he'd been holding since the beginning of the day and allowed himself some damn honesty. The damp broke and the images with the feelings clipped to them washed over him like a spray of unexpected summer rain.

–

"_You know what? I get it, okay? I really do. I mean, I'm smokin' hot and all. Of course you can't help finding me irresistible, and that's alright, logical even, but would you please stop following me?" _

–

_The smell woke something in him, something dangerously close to a crave, strong enough to make him lean forward and breathe in until his lungs were filled and his senses were sharp and hungry for more, even if he didn't know what 'more' was. And then, he managed to discern the taste, his unfocused eyes darting up to grace over smooth, tanned features. "You smell like coffee."_

–

_A few steps from reaching the sidewalk, Jaden looked back at him and beckoned for him to get closer, flashing him the most charming and __brilliant grin he could possibly offer._ _'Stupid slacker...Does he have to be so god-dammed..._' **beautiful!** '_...cheesy?'_

–

"_Jaden, maybe we should slow down a little. I don't know if I'm ready for a long-term commitment right now."_

–

_**Every dream I dream is like  
****Some kind of rash and reckless scene.  
****To give out such crazy love  
You must be some kind of drug.**_

His suggestive comments, all those things he found himself feeling and thinking, they had to have come from somewhere. As much as he wanted to yell and kick and scowl, it was his fault too. How come he didn't see all that coming? Was he really that fucking stupid? His features melted into a kinda sad, half-hearted frown and a small smile to match.

Alexis joined one of the games, smiling and waving and looking so majestic and beautiful he suddenly felt sick to his stomach for not being able to appreciate it like he used to. No matter how long he stared or how pretty she really was.

All because of a stupid, pretty moron who probably didn't feel the same way. Even if he did save his life once and stuck with him and his arrogant attitude afterwards.

* * *

He didn't bother checking the hallways and toilets twice; wasn't all that disappointed when he walked into an empty room every time. Somehow, _something_ told him Chazz hadn't been inside the school, hiding or whatever. That only left the playing fields. And if he listened to his gut, then he wouldn't have to search anywhere else.

There were like six or seven groups, big and small ones, playing different sports on their respective fields. The brunet didn't even offer them a second glance. Didn't have to to know the stubborn jerk he was trying to find wasn't in any of them.

So he looked closer.

And he almost laughed at the way his gaze seemed to follow an invisible path drawn in the thin air, like a beacon of some mystical kind, coming to rest on a distant, familiar face.

If something's meant to happen, it'll happen — a natural human law, apparently. He had to. Simply because he didn't know how much of this he could take before he went crazy.

_**Damned if I don't...**_

No matter how many times he lived it, the feeling of being washed from pain and anger by just gazing at Chazz, it was still pretty amazing. Which was kinda unbelievable considering he was a few feet away from the benches and the guy was really far up.

But something was terribly wrong here. It all withered inside him as quick as it came, and he realized the dark frown on the other's face was undoubtedly the poison. His heart ached at the mere sight.

He looked so...lost; frightened even. Hell, if he stood up and ran for his life any second now, he wouldn't be surprised. Not one bit.

Jaden watched, like in a sort of hypnotized haze every single one of his friend's expressions and how he went from one to the other in mere seconds. First, he placed a hand palm down over his chest with a grimace, as if in pain.

Then came laughter, hysterical laughter if he could bet on it. Amazement was next. And finally, the most interesting one in his opinion: a smile so wistful and hopeless it made his shoulders slump in the sourest dread ever.

Or so he thought. Because it was nothing, absolutely _nothing_ compared to the one that scalded his spirit when he saw what lay on the other end of Chazz's fixated stare.

_Alexis Rhodes._

"Of course..." He huffed bitterly despite himself. It morphed into an even emptier chuckle. "I'm such an **idiot**." A devastated growl clung to the end of his phrase, deadly and burning like acid.

_**...Dammed if I do.  
I gotta get a fix on you.**_

Suddenly, nothing around him had that much importance, the colors fading into soft and quiet grayish shades and the only sound that counted was the numb thumping of blood as it ran through his head at top speed. It got to a point where he wasn't sure if the grayness was the manifestation of his apathy or just the way things truly looked like if he paid more attention.

When Chazz met his gaze and actually held it, he couldn't hold back. _God help him_, but he just couldn't restrain his anger and his hurt from showing; it was too much and he didn't care anymore. The black haired teen was able to keep eye-contact for only three seconds before looking away.

A pair of invisible cold hands wrapped around his throat and tied it into a slippery knot, not as to cut off his oxygen supply yet tight enough to make shallowing agonizing. He walked off and decided to make an early arrive at work.

* * *

He didn't take his eyes off the slacker until he was completely out of sight, too shocked to the core to even think about breathing. How long had Jaden been standing there? More importantly, why did he look at him like that? Like he was mad at him.

Like he hated him.

Sure, he kinda had been avoiding him, but it wasn't like he knew that. How could he? As far as he knew, he didn't have psychic powers or anything like that to know about his dream, or that he'd been avoiding him specifically. Wouldn't have that kind of grades if he did.

And even if the dork knew, why would he be mad about something like that?

He considered running after Jaden in search for answers...and maybe a black-eye, too. Yeah, the brunet seemed furious enough to strangle him, so that was more than just a possibility. Still, maybe he couldn't stand the thought of the slacker being mad at him.

Because it seemed like besides that of the Sun's, that was the only glare he was not able to meet directly for too long without burning himself.

But before he could jump to his feet and break into a full sprint, he reconsidered everything. If Jaden was indeed angry with him, then the whole transferring, leaving-it-all-behind plan would be easier to pull off. He sighed.

The reason to Jaden's annoyance was a complete mystery to him. The prospect that perhaps it was all meant to happen in the very first place, that it was **fate**, it made him feel like drowning on plain, oxygen-filled air.

_**Have you ever needed someone so bad?  
Have you ever wanted someone you just couldn't have?**_

* * *

He realized how completely screwed his situation was when Gab didn't have anything to say. The cup of coffee she slid his way only saddened him even more.

"I can't believe I actually thought it'd work out, I just-" There was nothing particularly interesting about the counter or his shoes, and yet he kept staring down, like the natural patterns on the wood would abruptly morph into words, into a solution. They didn't, of course, so he was back to square one. He shook his head and narrowed his eyes. "I don't know."

Suddenly, everything made sense. The awed-stares, the comments, the sighs and smiles that appeared in Chazz' face whenever Alexis passed by, they all clicked. Iron flooded his mouth in a gulp; he released his jammed tongue from between his teeth and bit his bottom lip instead.

At least until he cut it open and had to find some other frustration outlet. He felt like the biggest clown that had ever existed.

* * *

"Chazz! Chazz, come back here! Don't you dare walk away from me like that!"

His brother kept on yelling and he kept on walking, doing a damn great job at pretending Slade didn't exist at all if he could say so. "Eat me." Slamming he door was a nice touch, too. He didn't exactly know what was beyond 'crossing the line', and even if he did, it wouldn't be enough to describe what his brothers had just done.

He was pissed and hurt and confused and all he wanted was to go home or anywhere he could throw up in peace. Like, _right fucking now._ But the driver followed his brothers' orders, not his, and Slade probably already ordered him not to take him anywhere until they fixed everything, so...he would have to improvise.

Luckily, Slade's assistance was a trusting one, confident enough to leave her keys on top of her desk, right in everyone's view; he grabbed them and made a run for it. "CHAZZ!" He heard Jagger's growling voice one more time before the elevator door closed. In a quickly yet nonchalant pace, he sneaked past the lobby and into the parking lot.

The engine roared back to life with a growl that sounded like Freedom to him and he stepped on the gas, literally speeding the hell out of there. If he'd felt like puking before, then he was definitely sick to his stomach now with all the sharp turns he took.

He was a pretty decent driver. A really good one, actually...

So the realization that he'd just ignored a red light surprised him mildly. But he didn't even bat an eye, or worried in the least, for that matter.

Not even when, out of the corner of his eye, he saw another car drawing near in slow motion.

_**Did you ever try so hard that your world just fell apart?  
Have you ever needed someone so bad?**_

* * *

Things weren't any easier back at home. Judging by the way everyone pretty much stayed out of his path, his anger and disappointment probably showed on his face, too. The piece and quiet around him was something entirely new to him, and he appreciated it

Well, that was until Sy dropped by, backing up some anger of his own with low, seething words. Perfect timing there 'cause he demanded answers, something he definitely did not have right then.

However, as much as he wanted to just disappear at the moment, he couldn't deny his friend was right. He really had been ditching him and hiding things from him and even lying. So, on top of being rejected in what was undoubtedly the nicest way possible and feeling like a freak from outer space, he was also a terrible friend? Terrific.

_**And you're the one I gotta have.**_

But then he brought Chazz up, blaming the youngest Princeton for everything that had been happening between them and diving a salt-coated finger into a fresh wound.

And it seemed that was all he needed to hear 'cause now he was done. His tact, his reputation, whatever Syrus might think of him — he threw them away and out the freaking window. He straightened up in his chair and raised his head to meet his friend's peeved stare with a blank look. "I think-" Using the simplest, most serene tone, he opted for the truth. "No..."

The exact truth.

"I **like **Chazz." When Sy cocked his head to the side and opened and closed his mouth uselessly, he burned the bridge and pressed further. Squashed whatever was left of the opportunity to take everything back down into the ground like a consumed cancer stick and said, "Yeah, _like_ in the way your thinking, as in _more than friends._", feeling no remorse or anything that might come a shade close to it on the spectrum of emotion, even as he walked past him and out of the house without so much as another word.

_**I gotta have you baby.**_

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Drop after drop fell off the end of the roof, crashing against the already wet floor in a loud waterfall rhythm as the wind picked up every now and then, breathing the fresh, cool scent of rain into the room. His desk felt stone-cold under him.

_He_ felt so cold. Denim wasn't necessarily the warmest fabric ever, he knew, but considering he'd been wearing it since he left home, it was taking him a long time to gain some heat. In any case, he wrapped it tighter around himself, vaguely wondering why everyone seemed to be unaffected by the weather, all of them in plain tees and even sleeveless shirts, while he was freezing his butt off there.

Sy was staring at him. Was painfully aware of it and yet didn't really care that much.

Chazz' seat was once again empty. It felt like weeks had gone by since the last time he saw the black haired teen. Hell, yesterday's plan of spilling his guts out in hopes of being accepted seemed like a childhood memory...distant, silly and painfully embarrassing to remember.

The desk next to him was still empty after he blinked; he nestled deeper into his clothes.

He was so cold.

But then the door swung open and a tall, oddly familiar man strolled in instead of the handsome jerk he'd been missing so badly. His long, black trench coat still had some tiny liquid diamonds clinging to it, making obvious just how hurried he was to pay any heed to the pouring rain outside.

The moment he understood that was Slade Princeton who'd just walked in, looking awful and worn out like he'd never seen him, his whole world fell apart so catastrophically his mind couldn't deal with the weight of realization and simply detached.

_**It's a game I just can't win...**_

(End Of Chapter 13)

* * *

Heh...now let's see how you deal with a cliff-hanger such as that one. Just a reminder of how much of a nasty bitch I am. *winks*


	14. I Won't Forget You

**Authoress' Note:** Leaving you curious and freaked is one of the biggest pleasures of my life. Anyhow, this is gonna be a long one.**  
Summary: **(AU fic) When you suddenly find your life shattered, you learn that love can be found in the most unpredictable places. Takes place through their last year of high school, so if you're looking for a Duel monsters story, this is not for you. ChazzJaden**  
Pairings:** ChazzJaden and one-sided JadenAster, a bit of JesseJaden, but there'll be other pairings as well.

Warnings: No warnings for this one, I think....Uh...yep, no impressive content for you now.

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu Gi Oh GX, its characters or any of the songs mentioned. The title's for a real great song by Poison. Enjoy. 

* * *

﻿Chapter 14

"**I Won't Forget You"**

When the limo pulled over in with a quiet squeak of brakes and he found himself staring up at a rather familiar, tall building, he almost laughed. He'd been so out of it to notice they hadn't been heading to his house and that he was being dumped at Slade and Jagger's office instead.

Only God knew what those two jerks wanted from him now. It wouldn't be anything pleasant for him, though, and he knew it. The driver opened the door for him, but he didn't even offer him a second glance, not even to the receptionist that greeted him with a smile in the lobby. Just walked into the elevator and pushed the button, dead set on getting this whole deal over with so he could go home and die peacefully.

He couldn't bring himself to at least act surprised at the way the elegant doors opened a feet or two before he reached them.

Slade's office pretty much took over the entire floor. It seemed more like a great hall than an office, and knowing his brother's pretentious nature, that was probably the whole point.

And in the other end of the room, looking down at him impassively like he was a freaking rat or something, were his two lovable, lovable brothers. His oldest sibling was leaning back on his big mean-almighty-boss chair; apparently, he didn't have a pole stuck up his ass today, which was really kinda disappointing for him. Messing with him was easier and funnier when he did.

Mostly because Slade's patience and serenity towards him made him feel like the upper-hand had just been stolen from under his nose. Jagger...well, he was a completely different case.

The pole was always there and a simple sarcastic comment was all it took to set him off sometimes. The sour frown that appeared on his brother's face when he smirked at him proved his point.

He chuckled gruffly and spread his arms to his sides. "What? At least wait 'till I ask for a raise to give me the disgusted looks, will you?"

There was no response for his joke, and that would've pleased him a lot if he hadn't noticed just how apprehensive and stiff Slade was. How he didn't even raise his head to look at him. That alone was worth worrying about. So he examined every single one of his moves closely as he finally began talking in a very somber tone. "We need to talk."

It didn't take a genius to figure that out. Then again, they were morons, so...humoring them was his duty.

"Then talk."

The man sighed before glancing back at the other behind him. Any hesitation that might have shadowed his face was gone by the time he turned his attention back to him — vanished to mirror the stoic expression that met his. "We need you to sign this. Not now, of course. According to this, you'd have to be a bit older, but I think you might want to start considering it."

A thick, stapled pile of papers was slid towards him slowly. He began walking towards the desk with all the intentions of going through each and every page, but Slade resumed talking.

"Basically," He tilted his head to the side and slightly back, fixing him with a fierce look that kept him from reaching for the document. That kept him from moving altogether. "You'd be willingly handing us your part of the inheritance."

For a moment, he was at a complete loss of words, of thoughts and feelings. Like he wasn't there, like he didn't hear damn thing he'd just said. Like none of that was happening to him, right now. The possibility that it wasn't what he thought it was, that perhaps this just a financial trick, a cheat-the-system thing and he was somehow helping his brothers

But he knew what it really was, and his brother's next words made it even more tangible and disconcerting. "All of it."

Straight to the point; no sugar-coating it or anything. Quick and painless, like ripping off a band-aid. He honestly didn't know what disturbed him the most: not trusting his own brother enough to just do as he said, or that said brother was disgusting enough to declare his scumbag plans in such nonchalant way.

Half of his sense came back to him and continued the conversation while the other half drifted off to a no-return trip. "Why?" The 'the hell would I do that?' part was meant to be there, but it didn't come out of his lips. It was as present as it was unspoken. Still, he couldn't really complain about his level of verbal response, considering he wasn't even sure of his own name at the time being.

"I say willingly because that's the only way no one gets hurt." And just like that, whatever stability he'd built for himself over the past weeks crashed down around him like glass rain.

The more Slade talked, the more surreal everything felt. Bile started rising up in his throat, hot and nauseating, foretelling yet another vomit-fit. As if he hadn't had enough of those for a day. "You're threatening me?" He took a step closer, devastation and disbelief written on his face as he searched for his brother's gaze. Youngest and oldest Princeton stared at each other for what seemed like hours.

His breathing had become jagged and his sight blurred without him even noticing. Stability deceived him every few beats. If his calculations were in the slightest correct, then he was a sigh away from passing out now.

The saddest part here probably was the fact that he was still waiting for them to start laughing at him for being a credulous little idiot and falling for that one.

"Not quite." Only they did not. It was all real. The stone-cold indifference in both his brothers' faces made it real. An insignificant twinkle of what could've been mistaken as regret flashed by the older man's features before he narrowed his eyes pensively and said, "I can't hurt _you_."

For some reason, the way that statement was spoken, it only unnerved him further.

"But that doesn't mean I won't twist your arm to make you accept."

Really? _Really_? What could they do to him that would be any worse than what he'd been through the past months? The guy could try, though. "Meaning what exactly?"

The frown disappeared from Slade's face, and for a second or two, he actually looked like he didn't hear his question at all. "Those dogs of yours...I never really liked them; they've been a pain in the ass ever since Dad bought them. A friend offered a generous amount of money for them once, and even if I couldn't get a hold of him right now, I think I like the vet's option more. You know, the _quick_ one."

Sour water flooded his mouth in an instant.

"_I don't know what to do anymore." _The tone he used to say that was purposely over-acted, as pleased and mocking as the smile on his lips. "_They're so violent. I tried to feed them once and they both attacked me. _Luckily_, my brother was there to help me." _

His whole body felt heavier and the room started spinning. "No, you wouldn't..." He shut his eyes tightly before fixing them on the blurry features of his brother.

"And I'm just getting started." Leather crunched quietly when the man leaned back into his chair, and even with a hazy sight, he could make out the fake thoughtful expression he was wearing. "Beatrix — that nice, hard-working lady. You know about her son, right? The one with the heart disease?"

He did. It was the most recurring topic in their conversations. His throat almost closed up on him when he shallowed. The thought of his brothers doing anything to that kid... "What are you gonna do to him?"

His neatly shaved and flawless face took on a smug shade of indignation. "Us? We're not going to do anything, little brother." And like the petulant, capricious summer weather, it changed drastically into something else. Into nothing. "Anyway...he's going to need another surgery in a week or two. A major one." His vision cleared just enough to watch Slade do that clean-handed head-tilt he hated so much. "Do you know who's been covering her medical insurance these past years? We have. So yeah...we're literally not going to do a single damn thing."

He let his head hang low and felt something warm tickle his jaw, leaving a wet, cold path on his cheek. The fogginess, it hadn't been just his mind and the dizziness playing tricks on him. All because he still couldn't wrap his head around what his brother was telling him and the fact that Dad had been right all along. Their greed really knew no boundaries. They were more than willing to screw innocent lives over money. Of all things?

Where was the compassion? The humanness?

"And believe me, there's so much more we could do to make you agree. We haven't really invested that much creativity into it."

Torn between biting his whole bottom lip off or screaming out, he lifted his gaze to meet two pairs of eyes that wired down to what seemed were coal hearts and shook his head brokenly.

He honestly didn't recognize them anymore. Was sure he was a complete stranger to the other men he was currently sharing a room with.

These weren't the oldest brother who used to pick him up from school and buy him an ice cream on the way home every time _just_ _because he insisted _and the one who fought with him over something stupid and then brought dinner for him up to his room an hour later.

He knew _them_, but where were they?

"To think all of this would've never happened if only they hadn't loved you _that_ much..."

If only who hadn't loved him that much?

"...what? What does that-" The question was left unfinished, his breathless tone weak and pathetic. Two things he definitely was not, but couldn't help feeling like at the moment.

_'Slade and Jagger: I know you will understand our decisions as soon as you learn about them; if you haven't already. After all, I raised you both myself with all the humanly possible love.'_

And like the missing piece of a puzzle, his mind started tying loose ends together until he had every answer he'd been lacking — until the reasons for all the actions were clear and everything made sense again. "What did mom mean when she said you'd understand their decisions?"

This time, he got his brother's whole attention. He looked down, like a kid who got caught with his hand inside the cookie jar, and licked his lips. "She meant the will, Chazz." Slade began, raising his head wearily before adding, "They left everything to you."

A distinct mixture of desperation and gentleness darkened his brother's features after those words left his mouth. Like he was willing him to understand a point that was beyond his discerning.

"The burden and the responsibility that comes with something like that. You can't even imagine. You understand now, why we're doing this? "

But before he could get used to see any kind of emotion replace the usual stoicism, it was back to normal.

"There's no reason for us to go that far, Chazz. Things aren't that complicated. See..." He brushed his fingers across his cheek and chin casually. "...this is just a misunderstanding. A foolish mistake made by our parents. I mean-" A bitter, unamused snort rocked his voice a he held out his hand, palm up. "-leaving that much money to a kid...that's simply reckless."

The bitterness was undoubtedly there. So dark and underlying.

"It'd still be yours. And you would have no needs of any kind, I promise. You'd have everything you might need and want."

Nothing he heard made absolutely any sense. Nothing. And the thought that it wasn't that much of a unforeseeable situation, it drilled into his head, not to just pass by but to stay. _Permanently_, along with the unspoken query that kept on resounding, again and again like a loop.

_What is the world coming to? _Innocents getting hurt for anonymous business and regular people becoming heartless bastards. _What is the world coming to? _Good, loving people dying unjustly, only to have their graves spit on and nobody to actually mourn such a big loss. _What is the world coming to? _Brother turning against brother over plain, dirty pieces of paper that could very well be as valuable as used tissues...

All of the above within a short period of months, in his life. _What the fuck is __**my**__ world coming to?_

Without anything there to hold him down, to anchor him anymore, he turned on his heels as quickly as a disconnected, uncaring mind could move a heavy, equally empty body. He was able to pretty much palpate the bewilderment and annoyance in the air around him, coming off in waves from his older siblings.

"Chazz! Chazz, come back here! Don't you dare walk away from me like that!"

Some of the few threats that used to make him flinch and obey now seemed so meaningless and hypocritical that it almost brought him delight not to. He just kept walking, ignoring and trying to forget. It really wasn't as hard as it sounded.

"Eat me."

And the large, hefty door closed behind him like a sheltering cape. Escape was the only word that formed on his head and dry, mute lips.

* * *

When a crashing sound sneaked into the room, his heart jumped up in his chest only to fall back, frozen in place. And he was just as frozen. None of them flinched, but there was something about the noise, something mysterious and alerting that made them share a wide-eyed yet passive stare.

Without knowing, they both shared a particular thought as well. _That's just silly. Traffic accidents happen all the time. _

Hell, what didn't they know about that kind of accidents? Life's weird that way.

A minute or two of dead silence that almost resembled canned-up static passed by before the ever-distressing screech of ambulance sirens smashed the quiet completely. They did flinch this time around.

His brother removed himself stiffly from his rightful post behind his shoulder and walked up to the bar to pour on some scotch. As much as he tried, he couldn't ignore the way the bottle and glasses clicked together under the hold of a unsteady pulse. The hand that brushed against his brow and dragged down his face wasn't all that rock-steady, either.

He sensed his brother's presence close and glanced up at him. The disbelieving, pallid expression that met his would've made him laugh, had the situation been any different. He tore his eyes away from the other's. A glass of scotch sat indifferently before him, mutely witnessing the distress hanging over their heads, Jaggers fingers still grasping the rim, holding his own drink with his other hand in a mirroring manner.

The stress was slowly draining away from the room as minutes ticked away, and little by little, the air was getting more and more breathable.

Well, until the phone started ringing and it all crashed into a million of tiny pieces so suddenly it was almost comical.

Oh, yeah. Life's funny that way, alright.

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_Please stay in the waiting room, sir._

The first of the long useless statements lines he got from the staff after he walked into the was a plain and peeved from a nurse, probably just to get him off her ass for at least five freaking seconds. It didn't work, anyway.

_I'll call on you as soon as I know something, sir._

_He_ had to know. Hours went by.

_We're running some tests, to check if there's any head trauma or damage to the other organs. I'll call you when I get the results. _

His younger brother stood right next to him but he paid him no heed. Couldn't even look at him; he didn't have the courage to. Not now, not when he was feeling so damn...disgusting. It didn't matter if Chazz had been the one driving, he knew it was all his fault. He was the jerk, the sickening pig, the villain of the fucking story, here.

So he didn't really care about the slightly bewildered frown he received after he sank into a small plastic chair and rested his heavy head on his hands.

_His vitals are fine but the tests showed some mild brain injury. We don't think it's anything serious, but assumptions at this point are meaningless. Still, he's lucky to have gotten out of an accident like that with just that – a few scratches and bruises. _

Even after what happened to his parents, _after everything_, he still never gave the concept of losing one of his brothers any kind of thought. **Never**. They would always be there for him to take care of or to follow his orders. They would always be there, no matter what.

...only they wouldn't and he knew it. Had taken them for granted for so long. The world's biggest fool didn't measure up against the tittle he really deserved.

_We won't know his full condition until he wakes up._

And then he woke up late that night, unresponsive and blank-stared and the doctors finally ran out of excuses.

A kind, blue-eyed doctor explained something to him in a patient voice, something about post-traumatic amnesia and a state of confusion and whatnot, words that fell out his ears as easily as they'd gotten in. The whole world closed out, the sounds, the people — everything faded out until that bruised, chalk-white face was all he could see.

As used to that kind of reaction as she was, the doctor just stopped talking and settled for checking the IV and arranging the pillow and sheets. She pulled a small flashlight from the front pocked of her shirt and swayed it in front of both of Chazz' eyes.

The brunette smiled warmly. "Can you tell me your name? Do you know where you are?" She was so calm and casual about not getting a response, but the tall man was not. "Do you know what month it is?"

"Chazz..." He said in a soft stern tone, desperately hoping at least for a freaking blink, not much, really. Nothing. Anger flared within and licked his insides. "Answer the question, Chazz." The smile slipped from the pretty woman's features at the low, black pitch in his voice. Still, verbal pushes or not, the youngest Princeton still didn't respond or even acknowledge their presence, just kept brushing his hands together, mashing them up into a shaking knotted mass of thin fingers and pale, dry skin.

And to him, the nervous action seemed so devastatingly familiar. He'd seen this before, he was more than sure of that.

**-+Flashback-+**

_"I asked you a question." Tiny, slightly chubby hands rubbed against each other slickly. Chazz's head was lowered, hiding his face from him and he was acting like a rude, spoiled brat again. _

_And it exasperated him greatly because he knew his little brother knew better. _He_'d taught him better. _

_"Chazz, answer the question!" How did he not know? It was an easy one. He should've studied harder. _

_More brushing, vicious this time, bruising even, but he still didn't show any signs of sympathy. _

**+-End of Flashback-+**

The moment the images stopped flashing by his eyes, his gut and spirit melted under the strength of the overwhelming hate he felt for himself. How could he be so ruthless and cruel with a boy that couldn't have been more than 5? How could he ask so much of him to the point of riping away his childhood?

How could he threaten to take everything else away from a kind who had no parents? Make it seem like he had nobody?

If he hadn't been in a hospital, the one place he had the least probability of dying after bashing his skull through the wall, he would've done it.

His baby brother, of all things. His biggest responsibility, the person he should've been loving and looking after the most.

He stumbled out of the room and threw up in the nearest garbage bin. People, sick and healthy people all the same, stared at him with pity in their faces. He retched again.

–

The doctors were very optimistic about Chazz' full recovery, and considering how messed up the matters of human life and death they were used to were, that was as close as positive as he was going to get. Apparently, PTA was actually really rare yet fairly common amongst car-accident victims, due to pass in a short period of time.

_I'd say a couple of hours._ _He'll be under observation for a few days, though._

Alright. He wasn't necessarily crazy about the uncaring yet cheerful tone he received, but it was enough for now.

So, he'd wait there, sitting by his bedside for as long as it took for him to go back to his pissy attitude and sarcastic remarks and witty smirk. _God_, he missed **that**, even the insults and the taunts; so much it hurt.

He missed his little brother.

Jagger's whereabouts were a mystery to him right now. Or maybe he was just noticing the absence, pathetic as that might sound. He wanted a coffee and something to eat, anything would do, but he didn't dare getting up.

He'd taken his youngest sibling for granted and had almost lost him. Not a mistake he'd make twice.

–

He could remember the night Chazz was born with eerie clarity. The moon had been impossibly huge and golden, lighting up the dark sky in a unique way, like it knew something very special was happening just underneath its glow.

He had been the first one to hold him, before Dad and even Mom, and he'd cradled the tiny newborn in his hands like he was made of fine glass, unraveling right there and then in the sense of pride and love and happiness and all the things worth holding onto, cursing through him with more vitality than his own blood.

Because something, a voice from very deep inside him told him the little person in his arms was meant for great things, and he hadn't been thinking about professional success or anything related at the time.

"How are you feeling, honey? Any pain? Headache?" She put the stethoscope clinging to her neck and rested the diaphragm over milky skin, triggering a small, instinctive flinch.

And then, slow and hesitant and confused beyond belief, Chazz nodded. The man bolted up from his seat in a second and regretted it the next at the startled hitch of breath and terrified face he received from behind the doctor's back. A nail dug into his chest and twisted into itself viciously.

He hadn't seen his brother look like that in years — so lost and scared, like a homeless child, like...

Like a kid who'd just been told his parents were dead and that he had nobody left in the world. He shallowed the knot in his throat as well as he could.

If he hadn't been such an asshole, if he had been a better person, or at least a decent older brother, he would've gone straight home just to check on him. To make sure he wasn't alone in a day like that.

But he didn't, and _what ifs_ had never amounted to anything, in any case.

The door closed purposely soft behind him.

–

"You need to get some rest, Mr. Princeton." She scanned the tall man over; the splendid, tired eyes, the neatly slicked back black hair, his bright, spotless skin. He was a handsome, naturally charismatic man. Just what his younger brother would grow up to be in a near future. "Go home, eat something. Don't worry, I'll take care of him."

He simply nodded, a distressed, disconnected expression on his face and gaze flickering was from place to place nonstop. "Yeah...I, uh...I have some things to take care of." Before turning to finally leave, he offered her an unsteady, half-hearted grin. "Thank you." It sounded honest. Really honest and deep, so she accepted it gladly.

She didn't see the point in answering anything else than the smile.

When she returned to the room and found her patient sitting on the edge of the was bed, with his back facing her and a pensive frown peeking from his beautiful profile, she had to admit she wasn't really that surprised.

This one looked like a fighter. Like someone who just would not sit around and wait for something to happen, and wouldn't nearly as think about giving up until he reached that. Despite his age and youthful appearance, there was an air of epic wisdom chasing him around like a shadow, something sparkling in his silver eyes that in some way made him all the more interesting.

Yeah. He was going to figure everything he needed by himself soon enough, and she knew it.

--

To say that was one of the worst nights of his entire existence would be an understatement. Whatever was left of it, anyway. He was unable to at least blink out for a couple of minutes.

So he just lay awake in his bed, his mind working overdrive the whole time, which really felt like a long, long time now that he thought about it, considering he'd left the hospital somewhere around 4, almost 5 in the morning. He looked around and it actually took him a while to realize the sun wasn't delayed at all, just hidden behind sad, gray clouds. A minute later, he noticed the faint pit-pan of rain against the window.

Deciding he might as well start his day already, he took a shower and got dressed. It would be irresponsible and ill-advised to leave the enlightening to the news. He was explaining everything to the headmaster of Chazz' school himself.

* * *

When he came back to reality with a snap, he found himself under the concerned stare of the counselor.

Slowly but surely, the room, the nurse's and Syrus' face, it all came into focus. He blinked and opened his mouth to speak, but the man beat him to it with his own question, no less. "What happened to you, Jaden? I mean, you completely spaced out. You scared the hell out of us."

_He_ scared them? Gee, last time he checked, he was the one waking up with random people, not in his room but in an strange office. The thought that maybe they had been talking to him for hours stroke a nasty, painful jab into his chest.

And them the memory returned to bitch-slap him in ways that defied imagination, all sandwiched between the paranoia and the terrible feeling lodged in his gut. He sat up so quickly he barely managed to keep from head-butting the guy. "Where's Chazz? Did something happen to him? Is he alright?"

The man cocked his head to the side and narrowed his eyes, confused. "Chazz? Chazz Princeton? Is that why you-"

"Yes, Chazz Princeton! We all know who he is, now tell me!" It wasn't like him to raise his voice, specially with such a frustrated, desperate note. The bewildered stares he received reminded him of that like yet another slap so he lowered his speech down to a hiss. "Just...cut the crap and answer my question, please."

Syrus was the one who spoke up this time. "He, um...he was in a car accident yesterday." He glanced at him carefully, making a small pause to allow the brunet to process that particular piece of information before continuing. "His brother came here to clear that up, I guess."

The pause and the patience were nice and all, but absolutely no luck processing, as much as he tried to.

The counselor met his gaze patiently and sat down on the other chair besides him. "We don't know much, he only talked to the teacher and the headmaster. Chazz is on a hospital right now. We don't know anything about his condition, though."

For several minutes, the maddeningly neutral voice of silence reigned over the room like a screen of poisonous air. Jaden looked down at his cold, shaking hands the whole time, and when he finally met the man's eyes, he was as pale as a ghost.

"Can I go home? I just don't..." The way his voice broke, the so-out-of-place and scary pained pitch in it, it was startling enough to make both Sy and the counselor flinch. "Please?"

He and the nurse exchanged somber yet sympathetic brief looks before turning back to him. "...yeah. Yeah, of course." "

She pushed the hair out of his face tenderly and nodded. "I'll talk to Sheppard, don't worry."

* * *

This whole not-knowing-anything thing was so....weird. Mostly annoying and tiresome, but weird all the same. A pair of light brown birds fooled around in front of his window, their frantic yet playful chirping brought a pleasant peaceful feeling to his chest. He sighed and slumped his shoulders.

Everything was sort of hazy. Every thought, every feeling, like millions of disconnected pieces of the same system, trying their damnedest to make sense, and failing epically every single waking moment. It was like a sleepy mode, a grogginess he just couldn't snap out of. There were a few images, situations and even conversations in the back of his head that could possibly be memories. The faces and the names, however, remained a mystery to him. Logic was like the gold-pot at the end of the rainbow, a price hiding behind miles and miles of thick clouds he was unable to simply fly through.

Was this life? What everybody else felt like? Or was he the only one noticing it?

No. There had to be something else, a better situation. The answers had to be beyond the haziness, but trying that hard to look past made his head hurt. Dammit, why couldn't he get through it?

Would he ever?

The sigh that blossomed from his frame sounded strangely deep and tired. Even if it was different than raspy tone he'd been getting used to for the past 2 hours, it didn't strike him as something worth troubling himself over. He unfolded his legs and slowly slid up the bed to lay back properly.

A pallid man in a black robe sitting just a foot away from his bedside appeared in his peripheral as soon as he shifted. Out of pure instinct, he jumped all the way up and banged his head against the headboard. Fire spread through his body at bloodstream speed, and every bone and muscle of his beaten body cried out in agony a split-second later. He tried to scream in his torturesome writhing but the only sound that came out was a strangled gasp.

Just as the thought of his head exploding from the pain crossed his mind, a pair of large hands on his chest carefully kept him from moving too much. He felt a little bit of shame and a whole lot of frustration when he opened his eyes to meet the wide and terrified gray stare of the man he'd seen earlier. And...the robe wasn't really a robe, just a black trench coat.

The things paranoia could do to someone's head were pretty amazing.

And to add up to the definitely bizarre moment, the terribly insistent urge to drop a comment about stupid, ugly grim-reapery bastards and near heart attacks assaulted his head like a migraine. The urge to simply say something nasty. Was that who he was supposed to be? It felt real and honest enough for him, not to mention the guy really deserved it.

Yes, like he said, freaking weird...

Instead, he just bit his tongue and hissed. "Don't...do that!"

The hands backed off from him and lingered in the air in a dejected sign of peace, only to fall back to the man's sides. Straightening up to find a comfortable position, he let himself examine the older man.

He was tall. Very tall and pale and practically soaked in black. His hair, his suit, his coat, (which he had to admit, was kinda cool), all except the dark purple tie that stood out brightly despite its lifeless color.

An scenario came up to his head in a flash, and since he wasn't really sure about anything and this felt pretty real and he could so very picture it, he went ahead with it. "Are you a hit man?" He cocked his head to the side in a child-like fashion and nodded. "You look like a hit man." Honestly, he surprised even himself by not smiling at the way the other looked back at him with the most startled, confused face ever, mouth gaping and everything.

After a kinda long but fun (for him) pause, the man finally let his head hung low and huffed a smile. "I'm not a hit man." Playing along with him on such a stupid game, he seemed to take on the role of the patient, explanatory adult. "I'm actually a business man."

It was his turn to make an exaggerated I-get-it expression, raising a pointing finger at him. "...who fights evil during the nighttime, uh? _Gotcha_." That one word in particular felt weird as it rolled off his tongue, but he ignored it. "Nice fake identity, by the way." He wrinkled his nose with his lips pursed and shook his head. "Not trite or anything."

They grinned at each other amusedly. How could a dumb, plain odd conversation like that bring such peacefulness? Feel normal, like home? It was something he could definitely get used to.

Luckily, he was able to at least get a good mental picture of the feeling before his head suddenly started buzzing. It wasn't very painful, just annoying and slightly distracting, so he tried his best to overlook it as much as possible.

Their eyes were still locked as the man eased himself down back into the chair. Halfway there, though, he flinched as if he had just remembered something, (lucky bastard...), and sank all the way gracefully down with a light grunt. "Hey," He dipped a hand inside his coat, against his chest and casually produced a small, deep blue box.

Its contents should have been a mystery to him, and he really shouldn't have nearly jumped in excitement at the sight, but he knew exactly what it was and he couldn't help feeling so eager.

"You wanna play?" And then out of the blue, he started fumbling with his own words. "That is, uh... I mean...if you, you know-"

"Hold'em." The contentment in the smile that he flashed out wasn't anywhere near to what he really felt inside. "I think I could kick your ass in that."

That got a chuckle out of the man. "Doubt it. You can try, though."

He didn't add _kid_ at the end of his statement, something he was oddly glad for.

Another thing that he just loved was the fact that neither felt the need to induce an introduction. At all. He didn't know the man's name as well as the other probably knew his, and that kind disadvantage should've stirred a pretty special frustration in him. However, it didn't, and he didn't really care that much.

Whatever helped him divert his mind off the headache.

The river card had no more than two seconds of being placed when the door of his room opened and closed quickly behind a very similar man. The what-the-hell look slipped from his face in a second, replaced by a terrible, unappealing somber frown that made the buzzing swell a few levels in the pain scale. "I take it you're back to normal now, Chazzy."

_Chazzy_? Was that a name? Or a pet-name, at least? Since he was looking straight at him, it was sort of safe to assume that whatever it was, it belonged to him. If anything, his head hurt even more at the realization. Either way, he didn't know what to say. "I, uh..."

"**No**." The man sitting in front of him answered for him. The stone-cold tone that ripped out of his mouth along with that word was startlingly harsh, and it drew a flinch out of him almost instantly. "He's not, but he will be." There was poison in his eyes when he turned to gaze at the newcomer. "Thanks for your concern."

In the short time he'd been awake, he definitely hadn't contemplated the concept of being stuck in the middle of a stupidly intense, dramatic situation and not understanding a thing. Now he kinda really wished he had.

So, in the meantime, he would only be the witness of a overly tense and bizarre scene.

* * *

He was okay with the lack of emotion in his brother's faceand actions. Hell, he could even deal with Jagger disappearing on him, on _them_, when they needed each other the most.

But he could not — would _not_ handle the freaking attitude. That I-couldn't-care-less attitude, like this whole thing was nothing more than a waste of his time, nothing of big import, specially when the two of them were the only ones to blame for it. It just set him on fire.

"I'm aware of that. I spoke with the doctor, too, and from what he told me, it won't be long before he snaps back to himself." He took a bold, almost menacing long step towards him and came to stand within arm-reach, purposely in his personal space to get his point across. An inviting hand was stretched out for him towards the door. "Which is why we should just leave for a few hours."

Of course he knew what he meant by that, and of course he knew Chazz's reaction wasn't going to be much of a friendly one if he saw them there. It had been on his mind since he was thrown into that nightmare, the whole time.

Even so, he couldn't bring himself to leave; to run like a Goddamned coward. Simply because he was tired of being one.

Judging by the wide-eyed look Jagger was giving him, he was still expecting him to come with him. "No. We're staying here, and we're gonna face whatever happens _just because we deserve it_." His tone was somewhere between a hiss and a growl, a sound so powerful and commanding that he wasn't really surprised at the surprised stare he was receiving. He leaned forward so he was nose to nose with his younger sibling. "You understand me?"

And like a true-blooded Princeton, his lifelong business partner steeled his gaze and refused to verbally acknowledge his defeat.

_'Some things might never change, but those are generally the ones that anchor us to who we really are...'_ Funny how that simple statement meant nothing more than a pointless set of words when his father absently whispered them to him the day they both had a big fight. The first time he'd disobeyed an order from Dad, and though it had clearly been his fault, he'd still walked up to him after a while and offered him a glass of scotch.

He didn't apologize, and instead of pointing that out, his old man just continued to look out the window. And then, he'd gone and said that to him. Never did he understand what they really meant; until now, at least.

_'I'm sorry...'_ The foreigner pair words sounded weird even in his head, so he relinquished in the way it felt for each and every time he should've paid them in the past, not replacing them with cheap talks and alcohol, as pleasant and easy as they may be. He wondered if his father knew how sorry he actually was, and how much it would've meant for him to hear that.

It would've meant a lot for him to hear an apology come out of his own lips, too. With any luck, Dad could've been aware of that without him saying it. He had been, after all, the smartest man he'd ever known.

Either way, his mind was made up by now. Chazz was going to be the one to receive the first apology.

He turned to his little brother, ready to utter the words and take the blame for everything, and was bewildered to find his brother folded in on himself, clutching his head with both hands as if he wanted to smash it in. A fine line wound up in his chest, like a muscle in his heart had been stretched out thin with the intention of being ripped apart.

It took him a while to realize his youngest sibling wasn't trying to block them out desperately as he'd done in the past, but undergoing what seemed to be an torturesome pain. A strangled whimper was the only response he got when he seized his brother up to make him look at him. Chazz had his eyes shut tight and his features were scrunched up in agony.

Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Jagger leap towards where he stood, seeking to help him, their movements uncoordinated and shaky under the frantic beeping of the machines attached to his brother. Soon enough, the situation got out of hand and he did the first thing that his panicked mind suggested. "Help! Someone, we need help here, dammit!" He tried to set his brother back into the bed with strong hands, but they both were pushed aside by the hospital staff the second that stiff body began to shift beneath his strength.

The last thing he saw before they were rushed out by a nurse was the sudden halt in Chazz' struggle. He would've believed it was because they'd given him a tranquilizer or something like that if he hadn't caught a glimpse of the blank, confused frown in his face as he stared up at the ceiling in apparent thought.

It was kinda beyond words and it grabbed a hold of his curiosity, so he stood his ground firmly against the thrusts on his chest and glanced down at the woman with determination and slight annoyance, promising not to budge an inch. "He's my brother!" The woman, luckily (for her) was not an idiot, and she let go of him to go back to the doctor's side.

The doctor rested one hand over one of Chazz' shoulder and lent forward a little, attempting some eye-contact. "Chazz? Chazz, what month is it?" Despite the steady, commanding tone she used, that impossibly wide gaze never met hers. There wasn't even any evidence that her words were getting through at all. She looked at the monitors for any bad signs, but she seemed to find none and focused back on her patient. "Chazz. Can you hear me?"

Still no response. The room was silent except for the soft, slowing beep of the machines. The doctor sighed and straightened up in one smooth motion. She must've given the staff a certain look since they all left the room when she did so. The pretty brunette approached them with a calm expression that was supposed to be reassuring.

It really wasn't.

"He's alright. I can't honestly say this is normal, but every human being is a whole different world and in a rare condition such as amnesia, this non-cognizant state is to be expected. For now, it's best if we just let him come back to us. I'll come check on him every hour." She stole a glance at the boy lying in the bed before turning to leave.

Jagger and him shared pale, tight looks for a moment in which the ground danced beneath their feet. The spinning would've stretched out way longer if Chazz hadn't stirred in his bed.

None of them could've been sure it was all a product of their overly high hopes, that the sluggish shifting and blinking wasn't merely a hallucination. If he didn't know any better, he'd say his little brother was just trying to fully wake up from a deep sleep in slow motion.

He brought a hand up to cover his eyes in a tired fashion that was too graceful and characteristic to be unconscious, and hissed.

When Slade drew closer to the bed ever so hesitantly, a pair of sharp silver daggers nailed instinctively on him from under long fingers, thwarting his advance with their weight. Not wasting any more time, the youngest Princeton planted his hands on the mattress and yanked himself up. Somehow, his gaze seemed even heavier now that he was sitting up like that.

Like a cobra about to strike. A shiver smoothed all the way down his back.

But the sudden movement must've come with a price because he swayed slightly to the side. Even though he hand trust out to hold himself up before he could tip over, the man still offered his own to help him up, only to have it rudely slapped away. "Chazz?" Those narrow, stony eyes peeked at him barely aware, annoyance and pain printed all over their surface. "Chazz, who am I?"

The soft-spoken question was barely regarded with a groan, eye-contact swiftly broken as the younger one squinted his eyelids shut, hiding his pale orbs from sight. "An asshole...? Agh!" Another sharp jab of pain stabbed into his skull, strong enough to cloud his senses a little and make him rock back and forth. He shook his head dejectedly without opening his eyes. "God, just kill me already..."

And that statement alone almost made his knees buckle underneath his weight. No shame or disgust burned bright within him at the fact that he would've hugged the hell out of his brother if he hadn't been pretty beaten up, already. He took a step forward to give his spikes a good ruffle and was, once again, pinned to his spot by that stare.

"_**Don't**_." He ground darkly out with so much force and rightfulness and sheer power it was impossible for him not to obey. Every second that he spent on the receiving end of that glare ate away at his confidence and spirit. When Chazz turned away from him to look around irritatedly, he honestly felt so very, very glad. "I can't stand this place. Get me out of here, please."

_'Well, least he's being polite.'_ "We can't. The doctors needs to be sure you'll be okay before discharging you. Its gonna take-"

"I. Don't. **Care**. Take me home, _now_." Alright, so he'd spoken too soon on that, but at the moment, he found it really hard to deny him anything, even if he'd normally would've probably kicked the crap out of him for using that tone with him.

–

After a long conversation and some serious abuse of his manipulative, political side, the doctor agreed to let Chazz out, just on the condition that he would stay in bed for a few days and assist to therapy. It sounded perfect until she said he still had to stay there for at least another day to run some testes and watch his recovery a little bit closer before actually letting him go.

And his little brother took that better than he had expected, only nodding silently while he watched T.V with a lost look on his face. He had always been a very reasonable young man, on everything that he did.

There were many things he didn't stop to notice.

(End Of Chapter 14)

* * *

Alright, I know what you all are thinkin' – _Slade Princeton would never act so kind. He's so OOC that it hurts to watch...'_

Well, let me tell you all something. Near-death experiences do change people. Unfortunately, they work more than anything else and probably by that time, it is too late. And I know, somehow I just know that the real Slade would never hurt his youngest brother. I mean, they retreated (angry, of course, but quiet), and never bothered their brother again. Sure, they disowned him and everything, but that's what pride does to people.

In any case, I believe so much in second chances, and I wanted to give it to him since the very start, so please, humor me on this.


	15. Don't Look Back

**Authoress' Note:** No comments. Weird, uh?**  
Summary: (AU fic)** When you suddenly find your life shattered, you learn that love can be found in the most unpredictable places. Takes place through their last year of high school, so if you're looking for a Duel monsters story, this is not for you. ChazzJaden**  
Pairings:** ChazzJaden and one-sided JadenAster, a bit of JesseJaden, but there'll be other pairings as well.**  
Warnings:** No warnings for this one.**  
Disclaimer:** I do not own Yu Gi Oh GX, its characters or any of the songs mentioned. Boston owns the title, AC/DC the lyrics.

---

Chapter 15  
"**Don't Look Back"**

One of the doctors thought he saw something wrong with his head in one of the scans, so the day Slade promised he would have to bear easily turned into three. 72 _**fucking**_ unnecessary hours of quiet misery. It took them _that_ much time to realize there wasn't anything wrong with him, and that they all were in need of some hours of good sleep.

Either way, he couldn't make himself care enough to complain. He was too sore and tired to do so.

Saying he hated hospitals would be the biggest freaking understatement ever. The sterile white, the weird, empty smell of cleanness and medications — it made him feel like puking his guts out, in case the food they gave him didn't do the job nicely on its own. He shifted, yet again, on the rigid, squeaky bed and grunted. The ache racking his body reached even his bones.

He had been in an accident of some kind. It didn't take a genius to figure that much out. It was the details that eluded him.

Amongst the details that he did know was the probability that he would feel a lot better if a group of gorillas had beaten the living shit out of him AND then used him as a rug to wipe their dirty feet on. And he seriously wished he had enough willpower to bite his right arm off his shoulder; maybe his shoulder too, while he was at it.

But **no**. He was a pansy. So much so that he really, really did not want to look into a mirror. Avoided any reflective surfaces, especially because he wasn't all that sure he wouldn't find a huge scar splitting his face or something like that. Oh, the mere thought sent a shiver down his spine.

It wasn't likely, anyway. The way all of the nurses stared at him longingly, only to glance away and blush as soon as his eyes caught theirs told him that much. Unless they all had a thing for scarred dudes; most women did have an incredibly bad taste in men, after all.

Bruises...that was a different story. His whole face was probably a huge, black bruise, poorly covered by the bandages around his forehead.

Hm...well, at least he had hair and eyes to match.

On the morning of the fourth day, he was finally released.

The instant he was out of that hellhole, he actually had to recoil from the oh-so-bright light like a freaking bloodsucker. He was that unused to being out in the open. Nevertheless, he craved every single sun-ray, stared in awe at them as they bounced off his even paler skin and warmed him better than any piece of clothing ever would.

The tall gates couldn't open fast enough, he noticed distractedly while he almost squirmed in his seat in eagerness. They finally did, and he couldn't really find it in him not to fall to his knees and meet his dog's ecstatic greeting head on. His brothers merely stood quietly a few feet behind him, not interrupting his little moment yet making no move to walk past him, either.

Quite frankly, he wasn't even sure why he was so glad to see these two silly guys; he just was. And the rest didn't really matter.

He tried his hardest to walk towards the front doors like he normally would (couldn't help the small limp, though), but they opened wide before his hand even touched the handle.

The sinking feeling he got the second he saw Beatrix's anguished face was awful and stomach-twisting and he would've vomited right there and then if she hadn't pulled him to her, tightly, yet somehow mindful of his injuries.

Again, he couldn't tell why.

Maybe the fear over a near-death experience wasn't completely gone and he was just guilty for not appreciating everything he had before? It sounded possible, convincing.

Only it wasn't the truth and he knew it. After what happened to his parents, he'd be an idiot if he didn't appreciate every single small thing he had. The drooling, mindless and petty kind of idiot, actually. Hell, he'd fight tooth to nail just to keep whatever he still had, small as it was.

So no, it was definitely not remorse.

A TV, a tray with all kinds of sweets and cakes, a warm cup of his favorite coffee and a neat pile of books awaited him patiently in his room. There was also a glass jug filled with water on his nightstand table, in case wanted a lighter drink, and something like 10 additional cushions sitting on his bed.

Ah, how he loved her.

--

One of those times Bea was walking around his room, fixing whatever imperfection she could find and practically spoiling him beyond recognition, he caught her wrist and nailed his gaze on hers seriously.

"I know you don't want to and I know my brothers probably asked you not to, but please tell me what happened." Judging by the quickness of her visits and the eye roll she gave at his request, he could tell she'd been expecting it since he arrived.

Good. That'd make everything easier. She frowned at him in disbelief. "You really don't remember?"

He gulped and shook his head. Man, she was acting like something really, really bad had happened, like he had... "Did I kill someone?" Even if it was hard to get that out, he had to know the answer to that.

It'd been on his mind ever since he woke up in that disgusting and colorless hospital room and it was bugging the hell out of him. Simply because it would explain a lot of things, like the way everyone was kinda avoiding him, his unreasonable anger towards his brothers and the unexplainable guilt he felt every time he looked at her.

Well...except maybe the fact that he was lying in his comfy bed while someone took care of him so sweetly instead of rotting away in a raping jail like he should be.

But then she snapped her head towards him so sharply he thought she was going to strike him for being so stupid (which looked like the initial plan) and hissed, "Of course not!"

Meaning more like 'don't be a f…reaking idiot'.

"You were in a car accident. We...we could've lost you." She lent forward into his personal space and raised both eyebrows, some sort of shaky, yet patient warning in her eyes. "We didn't and you're fine. That's all I care about, now go to sleep!"

The bickering wasn't all that uncommon between them — Mom even went as far as saying it was their way of showing their care for each other one time, so by all means did he want to fight some more, at least for the sake of clarity, and would've done it if she hadn't forced the covers over his head and wrapped it around him so well he wouldn't be able to wiggle free without hurting himself.

Thus, trapped in a warm, heavily cushioned prison, he decided that while some women had terrible taste in men, they all had the uncanny ability to win any war in the most epic way without putting that much effort into it. Yeah, he'd give them that.

"I can't breathe..."

No one answered him.

Ah, women...

* * *

When his mother could only stare back at him, wide-eyed and pale, he really wished he hadn't told her about what happened to Chazz. The news would've done that for him anyway, but then he'd have to act surprised and sickened to avoid questioning and suspicion, so he decided against it.

She asked him how it had happened, and he honestly had no answers for her. He was just as clueless.

They'd been pretty much running around in circles in the kitchen when his stepfather, as the respected journalist that he was, showed up and cleared things up for them.

It had been a car wreck — a rather nasty one. That alone almost sent him into a compulsive vomit fit. Apparently, it had been Chazz' fault. He'd sped through a red light, causing another car to crash into him, with two passengers inside. A young couple, it seemed.

Both cars were smashed past repair and asides from a startling hysteric attack, there were no fatalities.

He slumped back into his seat and filled his now wrinkled and burning lungs with fresh air. The front door was closed behind him before the next minute was up.

* * *

_Nothing around him made much sense. He could make nothing out of his surroundings simply because there was nothing to take in. Everything was pitch black, background-less._

_He could only see his hands and the steering wheel clutched tightly between his fingers. The world was different, cold...broken. Almost darker in a way. Like a nightmare wrapped inside a confusing dream. It was unsettling and scary and he had no one to share it with but his own uncalled-for anger that ran as deep and quiet as the blue ocean. _

_Thick, coal smoke treaded its way around him from outside the windows, easily keeping up in speed. It gave his environment a sense of spinning and shaking and re-shaping that made him dizzy but all the more curious to gaze around. _

_Horror tore away at his chest and his eyes became wide when, through the screen of smoke and shadows, he discerned countless of wicked, twisted smiles shinning right at him, coating the sky like an eerie wallpaper. Laughter filled the air he was breathing and he instinctively bowed closer to his hands, folding into himself, seeking protection where there was none to be found._

_The mad crackles turned into growls and hisses and just as he was the closest he'd ever been to losing it, a searing light to his side burnt the darkness away for a second — just one moment of clarity for his world and then something collided against him. He toppled over as if in slow motion. An even brighter flash made his heart jump up to almost spill out of his mouth. _

With a scream lodged in the back of his throat, he woke up with a start before his shoulder and arm hit the floor, the rest of his body following suit, the wind getting knocked out of him at the impact. The pain was like no other he'd ever felt in his whole life, excruciating and hot, so hot, but he still refused to let any sounds leave his lips.

Instead, he gritted his teeth and shifted so that his hands were supporting his weight and not his injured shoulder. Dry, heavy sobs rocked his entire being, sounds that were more because of the physical pain than the agony he felt whirling inside his chest, and he could only fist the carpet beneath him in sheer desperation.

Mustering up all the strength he could get from his weak and battered body, he lifted himself off the ground and stood up on wavering feet. Even if every pace felt like a mile to his legs, he eventually made it to the door, closing it as softly as he could. A metallic pop tapped the wood against his fingers; just like that, the door was locked.

It had been difficult, yet so necessary.

Now standing a foot or two away from it, he raised his head heavenwards and shut his burning eyes.

The mask cracked and he fell down to his knees and hands, this time real, sorrowful sobs ripped from his lips as he wept silently through the rest of the night.

* * *

No matter what he did or how much he busied himself with tasks that were pretty much unneeded, like dusting off the panels beneath the counter or arranging the supplies, time just didn't seem to pass by any faster.

He was halfway through the list of things they needed to re-stock, trying to remember if he'd forgotten something, but the music sometimes chomped away at his concentration and the ladies in the nearest table weren't making things any easier for him. They weren't necessarily louder than normal, and their tones were soft and not-annoying: still, it kinda did annoy him because their random conversation entwined with his thoughts with hardly any trouble.

Jaden grunted. He had to concentrate. Now, where was he? Sugar, napkins, flour... "-it wasn't that awful, but get this — when the police took them apart to ask them what happened, she started screaming-" Hm...just how low were they on cups and lids? Well, considering they hadn't bought any in a week, that definitely went on the list. "-at gunpoint and was going to take her somewhere else, probably to get rid of-"

Oh yeah! They were almost down to nothing on cleaning supplies, too. That woman...how the hell had she survived without him? He smiled and started writing before it slipped from his mind.

"-turns out the girl was about 16 years old and had been missing for over a week."

A sharp gasp startled him a bit, but after taking a quick look around, he resumed his task. "I don't believe it! It's amazing what the world is coming to. Just awful..." Filters, garbage bags, straws... "And to think what would've happened if they hadn't crashed...I mean, it wasn't even their fault!"

The irking feeling that there was something he was forgetting here assaulted him, and with a flinch, he realized he didn't lock the back door after he'd taken out the trash. His hands couldn't move fast enough to arrange everything back into place so he could go there and lock it properly before Gab noticed and nailed his hand to the wall for being such an incompetent little idiot. "Yeah, I know! I swear, it's like a miracle or something..."

And then he heard it.

"Jaden! WHY exactly is the back door opened?"

The brunet rested his elbow on the counter and slammed his forehead against it with a grimace. This was _not_ his freaking week.

* * *

The words déjà vu swung back and forth inside his head like a bell, its sound so amusing and ironic he couldn't help the empty grin that crooked the corner of his mouth. His back was rigid from shaking non-stop, and he frankly didn't know what to do with his hands while he waited for the elevator doors to open in the floor he'd pressed for. Hell, even his one of his eyes was twitching.

None of that mattered, in any case, for as soon as the doors opened, a dead-serious and determined look slipped into his face as if on instinct. Just another facade he needed put on for business, he knew. Not entirely the truth, just a mask.

But the rightfulness behind this mask would **not** break.

To be completely honest, he would've kicked the door open, if only for the sake of dramatic effects, had he been in tip top condition. He wasn't, but he still made sure to push it hard enough for it to slam against the wall violently.

Slade and Jagger flinched out of their skins at the sound, and paled down to an exquisite bone-white at the mere sight of him. Both reactions pleased the heck outta him.

He smirked as he came to stand a few feet away from the wide desk his siblings were using to shield themselves, standing tall and proud with his heels dug firmly in the ground and his nose higher than normal. "What? You two look like you've just seen a freaking ghost." His smile twisted even more and he swayed his head from side to side in amused admittance. "Well, you almost did for a while there."

Now, _that_ almost made him laugh. Still, he offered them an overly false sorry grimace, palms held out meekly.

"I know what you're thinking: _so close_, uh?" The playfulness left his face altogether in a second, all of the breathable air in the room gone with it. "But I'm not dead."

His oldest brother shook his head numbly, shock fresh on his features. "Chazz, it's...I-"

"**Silence**."

All of his life, or at least ever since he could remember, he'd been waiting for a chance to say that to his brother, and have him respond to the sharp command like he was supposed to. As he _should_, if he liked the way his fingers looked while they were still attached to his hand. He took a deep breath and carried on immediately, not anywhere near foolish enough to take their muteness for granted. "Don't talk. I'm sure you don't have anything logical to say in your defense right now anyway, so be quiet." His tone was clear and soft, betraying no stray emotion or hesitation.

The wood felt stone-cold under his hands as he lent forward; too impersonal and purposeless and simply for the sake of appearance, just like everything else in that office.

Brilliant silver orbs slithered over every surface, every carefully thought of detail of the small museum surrounding him. The Italian, one-of-a-kind paintings, the expensive leather furniture – hell, even the fucking pens were each worth more than his entire book and CD collection. All the trophies these two put on display, as if to assure the world they were a little bit more valuable than the air they wasted every time they breathed.

It made him shiver in disgust and he almost yanked his hands off the desktop, like he could get burnt down to ashes from the coldness. The sea-sized pity he'd been holding in store for his siblings since he walked into that room, it reached a whole new level, and he buried his hands in his pockets to keep the shakiness from showing.

_'But make no mistake — that doesn't mean you're the hero of this story, either.'_

A smirk twitched the corner of his mouth upwards.

Of course he wasn't. He was definitely _not_ the good, pure-hearted guy who forgave and forgot out of sweet love and mercy, here. Was far from it, and he knew it. Virtuous people didn't hate as deep and passionately as he had when the memories flooded back into his mind in the wake of a nightmare.

Saints didn't wish death and endless torment upon others, especially their own blood.

It hadn't lasted long, anyway. The cursing and the cries, it had all stopped and his body became a mindless pile of goo because suddenly, he was able to understand everything. What had happened, the reasons, the real ones, the fear and anguish around him.

What he needed to do.

By all means did he still want to begin the mother of all insult fights and crack their heads open against the wall and maybe even break some stuff (or all of it) while he was at it; however, it would smash the effect of conscience he was trying to evoke. _Now_ was not the time to be childish. There was a task at hand, after all.

One that he had to finish soon before he lost himself and his mind went over the ceiling with the lightness he felt tugging at his head, urging it to go astray.

"Let's skip the emotional, come-to-your-senses talk part for now, okay?" He narrowed his eyes slightly, regarding them with a calculative, icy frown that was so wrong yet so right and so brand-new it commanded caution and attention.

Life long seconds slipped away as silence stretched over their heads. He bit the inside of his cheek and considered all the ways he could phrase the truth without being too personal or letting his own feelings and opinions sip into his words.

"You're two really fucked up, greedy bastards." _Right_...perhaps he failed on that. On the other hand...**man**, this felt **great**! No wonder shrinks made such a good living out of it. "I'm not sure, but I'm guessing that's the reason Mom and Dad left everything to me." No further examination needed to be done because there were no reactions to gauge. Good.

Round two.

"No goods in the world would ever be enough for you and you probably have no soul..." Finally, finally he got the reactions he'd been craving. A faint snarl from Jagger and a twitch of the lips from Slade. Not that it pleased him anymore, anyway.

Round three.

"And you know what?" He spread his arms out and laughed at the true irony in the whole situation, playing the one card that always remained under his sleeve and had never once let him down: unpredictability. "I don't care. At all."

In one fast, smooth motion, he reached to the side and rested his fingertips lightly over the document that _still_ waited for him in that damned desk, sliding it until it lay in front of him.

"So...you want it? Everything?" A distant expression softened his features as he let one of his fingers trace invisible patters on the plastic cover. "Well then..." The oldest Princeton backed into a more defensive posture but said nothing when his youngest brother snatched up a pen from the crystal pencil holder that sat scant inches away from his tight fist.

Chazz frowned lightly without looking up. Wow...the guy needed to relax. There was nothing he could do to harm him in any way at this point. He shoved the stapled pile of papers open and started scratching his name into every one of the lines marked with bright yellow tabs, wearing a tiny, impossible smile that was neither fake nor bitter. The black haired teen closed it politely before guiding it towards the shock-frozen man on the chair.

He extended his arm forward in a gentle and careless offering gesture.

"There it is. I'm willingly giving it up. And don't worry; my decision will still be the same tomorrow, in case you need a witness or something like that."

"Chazz, listen to me, I-"

The violent slam his palm made as it hit the desktop was all it took to shut him up. That only meant his words had been half-hearted to being with and the lack of insistence from his brother was his unraveling.

Restraining the growl from thickening his words would've taken way too much patience and mental strength, and a minimal drop in either one of those would surely drive him off the edge of sanity.

"**No**, now _you_ listen to me, you disgusting, shallow piece of crap..."

_I may be a lot younger than you two, but at least I'm smart enough to know that a life revolves around money only spirals down to misery and hunger._

"Here's what's gonna happen."

_You can try all you want to justify your mistakes; the consequences for them will still catch up with you sooner or later._

"I'll be out of that house the moment I finish school, and I promise you won't hear a thing from me afterwards. In return, I don't wanna hear a single thing from you ever again, either."

_Your promises to fix everything are as empty as your soul, and you know it, and it's sad._

"As for Bea, I'm telling you right now: she won't ever need your help — not while I'm around. I don't know how, but I'll find a way pull those people through this. I'll work my hardest or I'll sell a kidney or something. It doesn't matter how I do it, what matters is that I **will**."

_So sad because no one mourns over the death of pathetic, selfish bastards. Compassion is a gift as much as it is a right, and it is only reserved for humans and defenseless beings, none of which you are. _

"I know you won't ever change. Somehow, I've already accepted that." Had he really? He couldn't be so sure, but at least he'd learned to tolerate it. "So..."

Tears, unwanted and numbing, began boiling behind his eyes as he stared at the men that had just taken whatever respect he still had for them away and turned his childhood dreams and fantasies, every sweet, innocent memory into a revolting little lie.

The same men that had, once upon a time, meant the whole word to him, been the perfect role-models. It was hard for him to believe these two and the Slade and Jagger he'd said goodbye to when they left for collage were the very same pair.

He had been too young and naive to understand his older brothers never made it back.

They fought all the time, of course, and he'd felt like strangling them pretty much every day he saw them, but a part of him, real deep down and hidden, somehow managed to keep a vestige of the great admiration for his siblings his earlier life had been based on.

There was something, endless things he wanted to add to that; problem was, none of them would make it past his lips without breaking his voice. And his pride just wouldn't allow that.

Silence was the best option.

'_Don't speak if you're not sure your words will outdo the beauty of silence_', right? So he smiled lightly instead.

Yeah, it was definitely beautiful the way it was now. Much to his surprise, the beauty remained even as he walked out of that room.

–

When he forced the elegant glass doors open and stepped out into the busy street, he took a whole lungful of the colorful, life-printed air of the city and frowned. A sigh ripped out of his chest at the utter contentment and energy he felt bleeding through him.

Strange how a crowded would normally annoy the hell out of him; in the middle of one as he was now, however, he was nothing short of blissful.

The reason for such sudden emotion was an enigma to him. Maybe it was the aliveness in the voices around him, the laughter coming from a lovely-looking lady sitting in a table outside a café. Maybe it was the golden, soft glow of the twilight warming his skin, charmingly shinning off the threes and pavement and roofs.

Maybe he just didn't care enough to think why.

The walk home would surely be a long one and he hadn't brought his iPod with him, which was kind of stupid of him, but what the hell — who said he couldn't make it entertaining?

He cleared his throat.

"**Living easy, living free. Season ticket on a one-way rii~de.!**" People stopped to stare at him, some in amusement, most in bewilderment. Very few were the ones that actually smiled at him in approval or chanted along. He didn't give a shit either way 'cause nobody knew him, anyway. "**Ask me nothing, leave me be! Taking everything in my stride. Don't need reason, don't need rhyme! Ain't nothing I would rather do...**"

The transition from anger to sadness to pity to mad happiness was bizarre in more ways than one, even for him; still, singing randomly in public was an insane urge he just couldn't resist.

"**Going down! Party time. My friends are gonna be there too~ - Yeah!" **

And if the howling wasn't enough to freak them all out, then his marching/hopping pace with a faint limp would definitely do the trick. He only hoped no one would get freaked enough as to call the nearest mental institution to check if they happened to be missing a loud, handsome bandaged weirdo.

Heh, they probably were.** "I'm on a hiiiiighway to hell! Highway to hell..."**

* * *

A week had gone by since Slade Princeton had strolled into his classroom with disastrous news he didn't need to hear to know, popping his head like a balloon in the process — eight days since the last time he saw Chazz.

No words available in his thesaurus would ever come close enough to describe the sour sensation haunting him at all times. Especially if he recalled how he'd treated him that day.

He never really slowed his frenzied, outraged self down enough to actually consider just how unexpected and simply strange his behavior must've been for the dark haired teen. The misery bubbling inside him had been entirely because of him, yes, but he didn't know that and he certainly was not to blame for any of it.

He'd been the one who'd made the horribly wrong assumptions, after all.

So now he was not only worried out of his head and lonely and missing the friends he no longer had, he also had guilt to deal with. Yeah, his situation was oh-so-freaking delightful to be true. He scrubbed the rag in his hand harder against the table.

After what Tony told him, he'd checked several different hospitals after school or work, and still couldn't find so much as a clue about the youngest Princeton in any of them. No one answered when he pushed the small doorbell button outside his house, and he had neither a cell or a house phone number.

That in mind...should he just give it up? Wait until the other decided to finally show his face?

Ha, absolutely not! He'd check every single effing hospital in a hundred-mile radius looking for the guy if he had to. After what Gab did to him for leaving the door open, he'd probably pass unnoticed as yet another patient.

Man, that crazy lady enslaved him, teased him and abused him, and never ever appreciated his efforts.

"I should sue her..."

Even though he was no lawyer or anything, but he was still pretty certain he'd win.

There, the tables were completely clean now and with any luck, they would remain like that for another....5 freaking minutes. "I like my job," He began chanting to himself as he turned to go back to his post behind the counter, eyes closed tightly against the world he desperately needed to break out of for a moment to gain a fresh breath. "...I like my job, I like my..." The words stopped dropping from his mouth and he stopped moving altogether.

At first he thought it was just his mind playing tricks on him, really cruel and opportune tiny jokes; it took him about three seconds to realize the Chazz that was just walking in was a real and breathing one and not a pleasant, vivid hallucination.

--

That morning he wasn't feeling as awful as he had in the past days, so he considered himself a lucky bastard and decided to pay a little visit. He was surprised, though, at the steady rhythm in which his old strength slowly sipped back into his body with each step he took. Perhaps the soreness was just him becoming rusty and creaky.

Since the sun was beating down lazily, bright enough to warm yet not so intense as to actually burn or sting, and he hadn't been out in the daytime for that long in a while, he was kinda sun-blinded after he went inside the cozy café.

Chazz stood by the door for an instant and waited patiently for the black to fade from his sight, fingers rubbing lightly over his eyes. The first thing he noticed when he blinked and looked up from behind his hand was the huge, chocolate gaze, zeroed in on him, genuinely shocked and wide.

To be honest, he'd never seen the slacker look this upset and simply thunderstruck before. The surprise he understood, but why was he upset?

"What?" The older teen whispered anxiously and scowl while he glanced around, trying to find something that might've disturbed so much before he even got there. Except for the music and the tables, the place looked pretty damn empty.

Oh, no...did he look _that_ bad? He'd kinda been hoping he didn't.

When something crashed into his chest out of the blue, he had to thrust out his free hand and supported himself on one of the tables to keep from falling down. He grunted but didn't curse or snap against the painful strain on his battered body because it had been entirely his fault for blocking the entryway like that.

...but the comfortable weight pressed against him never really bounced off or moved away — if anything, it pressed closer. He looked down, a soft, curious frown dancing on his features.

A familiar mop of shinny brown hair swam into view, something like two inches away from his eyes, tickling his cheeks and lips, and maybe he was crazy after all 'cause he didn't feel like breaking away in the slightest.

In fact, he slipped his own arms around the faintly trembling frame and pulled it to his tenderly, burying his nose into the auburn strands. "Slacker?" He whispered into the coffee scented scalp in a serene, gentle voice. It wasn't a question, and there was a unique tone in that special word that in some way spoke of permission and understanding.

Jaden refused to raise his head or even verbally acknowledge the call at all and tightened his fingers around his jacket instead. He couldn't remember how he'd ended up clinging to Chazz, or even walking up to the guy for that matter. His breathing had shortened all of a sudden, and his hands were shaking cold.

Giving the taller body one last, somewhat desperate tug towards his, he finally untangled his arms from Chazz' with tangible reluctance.

"I'm sorry..." The apology was hollow and quiet and it didn't lack any meaning even if he was the only one who knew what his mistake had been in the first place.

The expression he glanced up to wasn't the one he'd expected to find. There was no disgust or bewilderment or anger. Quite the opposite, actually. It was warm, relaxed...just so alive, like he'd never seen him look. Obsidian orbs stared down at him patiently, shaded by the stark white bandages wrapped around his forehead and the straight, black spikes that fell over his eyes and nose.

It was almost as if he was letting him examine the damage.

A thin cut on the corner of his mouth and another over one of his eyebrows, asides from the dressings, were the only evidence there had been an accident, and they were both nearly completely healed by now. "Missed me that much, uh?"

The smirk he tossed his way held no malice whatsoever. It was the very same he'd gotten used to, accompanied by one of his sarcastic remarks. Yes, this was definitely the same jerk he'd come to know. The crooked grin seemed sincerely kind and lighthearted, so he loosened up and guided the older teen into the most isolated and peaceful table.

With interest and infinite concern, he listened as Chazz explained everything that'd happened. His face was calm and his voice didn't really show any emotion while he talked about what his older brothers had done to him...it was his eyes that gave his feelings away. They were dimmed with fervor and glittering with sadness, upset enough to make his own burn, and he was torn between staring at him in disbelief and offering him his unconditional sympathy.

Because honestly, what could he say to him in a situation like that? He could try, but he knew that no words would ever soothe his pain or make it a bit less unbearable.

And even though this was definitely not the time, he couldn't help the happiness that heaved up and down his chest like oxygen at the mere thought of finally being trusted enough for Chazz to tell him about what probably was one of his darkest moments, so freely and in detail as if he were writing it all on his very private diary.

"So, yeah, I, uh...I gave them a piece of my mind and just-" The other held out a hand dismissively. "–gave them everything before leaving. I signed the goddamned thing. Didn't care anymore, I guess..."

He wished for nothing more than to find the right words to describe what he was thinking of him at the moment, and a big and bold **wow** was all he could come up with.

The things he was willing to do to help a friend...it was amazing. There was so, so much more to Chazz Princeton than what met the eye. The passion, humanity, selflessness...

The unimaginable value. And nothing or anybody else mattered to him.

"I don't understand..." He said dazedly, almost in a trance, wonder printed in his gaze while he graced it over those pale features like he was the meaning to life he'd only been given a few moments to contemplate.

After a pause in which the dark haired teen just returned the stare in his own pleased/lazy way, he finally chuckled briefly. "Well, good to know nothing's changed since the last time I was here."

Opposite to what Chazz would've thought, Jaden actually laughed at his comment; it was a light, full-out crackle, a sound so enchanting, so innocent and refreshing...

Whoa, whoa...he had clearly missed the slacker.

As soon as the mirth died down in his chest, the brunet shook his head and rested his chin on his palm, sighing contentedly like he always did after a great laugh. Man, he really had missed Chazz and his peculiar sense of humor. He focused his attention back to said prick and...why was he looking at him like that?

"What?" The harmless monosyllable affected the youngest Princeton immediately, the captivated, almost dreamy look on his face was swiftly swept away by a surprised, wide-eyed stare that, although extremely rare, he had come to know very well.

Smiling like a child, he realized with amazement, and maybe something else secretly fluttering around on his stomach, that while the deer-caught-in-the-highlights look wasn't exactly fitting with his witty attitude, it sure as hell was a nice change that suited his pretty face just right.

Their gazes met again, and Jaden still couldn't understand.

Why would someone so headstrong and passionate decide life was just not something worth fighting for?

Chazz was so ridiculously bright — he was willful, loyal, caring and very intelligent — not to mention incredibly handsome. Sure, he could be a royal jerk sometimes, but it was only a mask. He was really cool and funny when he had his guard down, and it pissed him off big-time that no one else could notice that.

Everyone either saw one thing or the other. Girls only saw the looks, and the money as a super plus, of course; Alexis saw him as a pompous prick, Bastion thought of him as a smart jerk and to Syrus he was, well, just a jerk.

Only he knew the truth about him and no one else.

* * *

It felt strange, this whole conversation. Not the fact that he was telling the slacker everything, but the contentment and safety he felt in his chest by doing so. Jaden's understanding of his actions and feelings made the loneliness he'd been carrying seem so exaggerated, and his non-judgmental attitude and beam cheered him up better than anything else ever had.

A heavy sigh ripped from his lips when he glanced in the direction of said moron, grinning lightly at him now that he wasn't looking and just marveling at how he didn't seem to be affected by his stare at all. It had always interested him, as well as the unruffled evenness in his gaze every time he returned it.

And as much as he wanted to stay there and ponder on it, Bea was probably wondering where he'd gone to.

So he pulled himself up and walked up to the counter. The brunet noticed him approaching almost instantly and turned to him with a somewhat unhappy smile. "Leaving already?"

He looked at the slacker with wide, disbelieving eyes. "Well, yeah...it's kinda late for a handsome, wounded guy to be out there alone, don't you think?"

Jaden laughed and nodded, playing along with his stupid, evasive joke. "Guess you're right." Hesitant and slightly annoyed, he accepted the money Chazz held out for him and fed it into the registering machine, coming back to hand him the change.

The ebony haired teen leaned closer teasingly and raised both eyebrows, smirk back into its rightful place. "Oh, I'm always right. See you later."

He considered telling him he'd go back to school the next day the second he set a foot outside the door-frame, and he was about to spin on his heels in order to do so when he saw something that literally froze him dead on his tracks.

Slade stood a few feet away from him, leaning against a silver, brand-new car in a tense and weary posture.

Even though he didn't exactly represent a real menace, it was enough to set off an instinctive alarm inside his head and his mask slipped over his face in a flash. He pushed back his shoulders and fixed him with an icy stare.

"What do you want now? I'll give you the kidney if that's what it takes for you to _leave me the fuck alone_."

The oldest Princeton didn't say anything for a while, just shook his head slowly in a dejected manner. His expression seemed tired...haunted? No, it couldn't be that. "I don't want anything from you."

'_Hah, of course you don't. Not anymore.'_

His brother began walking towards him and parted his lips to speak some more lies, but the sudden and rather violent sound of the door behind him yanking open stopped his advances. Before he had any time to glance back or possibly react, Jaden was already in front of him; he positioned himself between him and Slade in an almost protective stance.

"Get the hell away from him." The normally gentle and good-natured voice had somehow turned into an angry growl that betrayed a deep, dormant threat. "Leave him alone. We both know he's had enough of you for a lifetime." What amazed Chazz the most, however, was the fire blazing within his chocolate eyes and the plain hostility peeking from his profile. It was so strange and scary that the man stumbled on his words at first.

"_W-what_?" When Slade took another step forward, he tensed considerably, more than ready and willing to attack him if he so much as suspected the intention of harming the slacker had crossed his mind. "Do you even know who you're talking with, kid?"

Not one to back down easy, though, Jaden beat his sibling to the punch and took two steps forward, steadily countering the glare. He then did something completely unexpected, even to Chazz: he smirked. "You better leave now, Slade Princeton."

The man gazed down at the little, bold brunet, utterly incredulous. Was this guy serious? In a shaky rhythm, he sighed. Regardless of how annoying this brat was, he had to calm down.

The only reason he wouldn't beat this kid into a pulp right there and then was because of the love he had for his career. It demanded him to be extremely careful about his image, and if he did indeed punch him, he wouldn't see the end of it. Thus, he really needed to refrain from spreading his brains all over the clean sidewalk, as much as he wanted to.

Still, talking to him like that despite knowing who he was and how easy it would be for him to vanish him off existence without leaving a single trace behind...he was either a dumb idiot, or a suicidal one. Personally, he was leaning more towards dumb, suicidal idiot. "Whatever. Just get out of my way." He made a move to push him to the side to get to his little brother. Out of the corner of his eye he could see Chazz stepping up...and nothing else.

So _naturally_, he was more than shocked when a hand shot out from nowhere to latch onto his wrist, just in time for another to seize his tie, both of them pulling him forward to throw him into a spin. A leg met his effortlessly and he plummeted down to the chilly ground onto his back with a grunt.

Next thing he knew, he was being pinned down by a firm hand on his neck, not chocking him, only keeping him still, his arm held up securely in a vice-like grip against a lithe torso that wasn't nearly as frail as it appeared to be.

He stared up at the fierce-looking teenager who had somehow managed to bring him down with remarkable ease, completely stunned speechless. One quick peek at Chazz told him it had been just as startling for him. The amazed expression he was wearing evaporated the moment their gazes met, replaced by a narrow-eyed frown that was colder than the pavement beneath him.

"I'm sorry..." His attention, all of it, snapped back to the young man that towered above him, focusing curiously on the sincerity in his face and voice; for a second there, he seemed almost ashamed of his actions.

Nevertheless, the most interesting part about it in his opinion was the simple way in which the dread turned back into a grim scowl.

"...but you'll have to get through me first."

Unlike his brother, this guy didn't look like, or most likely _wasn't_ masking anything; he meant every word.

He was about to struggle, and he probably would've switched their positions in record-time had Chazz not reached out to lay a hand on the brunet's shoulder. If anything, the kid calmed down at his touch.

"Its okay." The black haired teen said tightly, sort of urging his friend to let go. Not out of fear since that right there was a scene he could watch countless times and not get tired, and certainly not out of pride for having someone else stand up for him. He was, in fact, more than grateful to be on the receiving end of such care and absolute support, but...

Serious and intimidating was a look he could not bear seeing on the slacker's face. It was terrifying and bizarre and just wrong on so many levels, especially if he was the cause for it.

Because a face like that simply wasn't meant to be darkened with a frown. That sight, it hurt him a thousand times more than whatever his brothers could ever do to him. Even if he tried desperately to pretend he didn't know why. He was so terribly thankful when the innocent, soft expression of his returned after he blinked.

Their gazes met for only a few seconds, just until the wordless message got through the air.

"Alright." He said compliantly, nodding as he gazed down at the silently seething politician lying on the ground before releasing him. "Up you go." Slade took the hand offered to him and hauled himself up, unconsciously dusting his clothes off for the lack of a better thing to do.

Fuming, he glanced at his oldest sibling. "Wait for me in the car." The order was sharp, effective and devastatingly familiar. So many times he'd heard it, now it was hard to believe he was the one saying it.

By the time he focused back on Jaden, his steely glare had melted completely to make way for a soft, concerned frown.

"Don't worry, I'll see you in class tomorrow..." His hand was still gripping his shoulder and he brushed his thumb reassuringly over it, smirking lightly at the wide stare that earned him. It was gone quickly and his face was back to normal in a moment. "And...thank you. For everything."

He knew he was probably as red as a freaking apple because he could feel the fire across the bridge of his nose, and it was...not as bad as he thought it would be. Not that he did, but...

Still, it was...okay. Nice, even.

The smile the slacker offered him was his cue to leave. He heard the shop bell just before he closed the co-pilot door.

His brother started the car and sped away the very next second. For some strange, crazy reason, he didn't feel like he should be scared or nervous. Not now that it was just the two of them and no one else involved, anyway.

Chazz leaned back into the comfortable seat, relaxing slightly with the smell of new leather, and asked rather serenely, considering. "Where are we going?"

Slade didn't take his eyes off the road to look at him, but there was a peculiar heaviness in his gaze that told him it wasn't because he was mad or disgusted — it was because he couldn't. "Home."

_'I don't understand anything...'_ He narrowed his eye_s_ into slits of silver. What did that mean? Was he trying to pull something? If he pulled over and retrieved an axe from the trunk, he honestly wouldn't be surprised.

Only he didn't. The drive was short and quiet, and when they finally stopped outside the front doors of the house, he made sure to pay attention to everything the other did. The fact that he'd brought him all the way to their house harmlessly seemed even more suspicious.

Right...he was starting to think he would've preferred the axe. At least he'd know what he was dealing with, then.

He merely watched as the man, still silent, suddenly got out of the car. When he was standing at arm-length from the hood, directly in front of headlights, he glanced back at him steadily, waiting. Any apprehension he might have vanished the instant he followed his example and walked up to him.

"I want to show you something." Without another word, Slade resumed his pacing, Chazz only a couple of steps behind. None of them had any trouble going through the bushes and low-branched trees in such dim lighting.

It wasn't too long before the bushes ended and they reached the backyard...or a neglected, less tidy area of it. For an abandoned piece of land, it was kinda ample. Or maybe the fact that it was an open space had something to do with that. There were no trees, only grass with an occasional flower or rock every now and then.

However, it was all unimportant compared to the small but imposing bonfire sitting in the middle of it. Hm, if he ran in a stone-riddled ground like that, he'd most likely fall flat onto his face, so...

Uncaring if his brother was still following him anymore, he let his natural curiosity guide him towards it in uneven yet agile little hops. His leaps stopped until he was two or three feet away from the rock frame, and on conscious choice, he fell down to his knees, mesmerized.

The fire danced seductively amongst the unpredictable sighs of the October wind, flames reaching into the sky with lazy, whimsical licks.

And then he saw it. Pressed carelessly against one of the stones, black around the edges and barely held together, was a picture that he'd almost forgotten all about. Ah, he knew Slade had been lying through his ass when he said he got rid of it.

He was about to ask if that was what he'd wanted to show him, but then something else caught his attention.

For anyone not as observant as he was, it would've seemed like just another scrap of partially burnt paper. Only he recognized it and remembered where he'd seen it eerily too well. A piece of one of the paintings that had been nailed on that ostentatious office.

He turned his head back to glance at his brother, brows arched in open confusion and consternation.

"That's not it — well, not entirely, anyway. This..." He stared numbly at his brother as he slipped a hand inside his coat and produced a document that couldn't have been longer than 20 pages. "...might give you a hint."

His eyes grew wide the second realization kicked in.

No...that was impossible. It just _couldn't be_. This had to be a joke, a trap...something, _anything_ but what he thought it was... Slade crouched down to his level, close enough so that he could see the honesty and the...pain? "The rest is in there. I have no reason to lie to you about this, and this isn't a copy, either. Look." He shuffled it open and pushed it gently into his face.

It was his signature, written with real ink surely since he could smell the sourness of it on the sheet, by _his_ hand. This **was** the very same document he'd signed three days ago.

_How the hell?_

Before he could say or question or deny anything, the man held out his hand over Chazz' shoulder and threw it into the fire behind his youngest sibling, looking right into those steely eyes that were so much like his own the whole time.

The flames gave the shadows on his face a much more feral and sinister glow, so intense that the growl on his voice was more than enough to send a shiver down the teen's spine. "People do change."

And he was left kneeling in front of the dying fire, alone and dumbfounded with not a single thought running through his head.

(End of Chapter 15)

------

I guess the whole meaning behind that random accident and the casualties is that there's a reason for everything.

I know, the whole singing part was weird and it made Chazz look like a complete nut-job....which means I'm on the right track! :D


	16. Perfect Strangers

**Authoress' Note:** Great, that arc was taking way too long to make its appearance.**  
Summary: (AU fic)** When you suddenly find your life shattered, you learn that love can be found in the most unpredictable places. Takes place through their last year of high school, so if you're looking for a Duel monsters story, this is not for you. ChazzJaden**  
Pairings:** ChazzJaden and one-sided JadenAster, a bit of JesseJaden, but there'll be other pairings as well.**  
Warnings:** No warnings for this one.**  
**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Yu Gi Oh GX, its characters or any of the songs mentioned. Deep Purple's great song is up for this chap.

* * *

Chapter 16  
"**Perfect Strangers"**

A pair of clear-cut, naturally wide sapphires traced every move the two friends sitting a couple of tables away from him made while talking to each other, utterly unaware of the presence or existence of anyone outside their small bubble.

The delicate, deep violet shades he wore did a great job at hiding his lingering stare, allowing him to study without being examined himself, and the sports magazine in his lap became the excuse for his twitchy hands to claw into something.

Watching that brown-haired beauty work and clean around with that sweet, vibrant smile had alone been more than entertaining and mesmerizing, but it shoot up into a whole new level when the object of his musings received some company.

And God, what a company it was...

Tall, mysterious and elegant with a bold **trouble** label chiseled into his aura — a little devil with the face of an angel. His clothing was entirely dark, from his jacket down to his boots, the perfect match for his narrow silver stare and black hair that stood up spikes so peculiarly. This guy's appearance, just like his presence, was dramatically outstanding and it commanded immediate attention, especially because of the bandages wrapped around his head.

A faint smirk hid behind his fist.

It was only fitting, he'd guessed. After all, the pretty thing he'd been eying was just as beautiful, (even more, in his opinion) yet so different at the same time, for several reasons.

For one, he had the most gorgeous eyes he'd ever seen. They were wide and innocent and their color reminded him heavily of melted Swiss milk chocolate.

Everything about him did, actually. His voice and gaze had been incredibly sweet and warm when he handed him the coffee he'd ordered. Those butterscotch orbs told him all he needed to know about the soul inside; pureness, joy, kindness, honesty and light...so much light.

In other words, he liked what he saw. As a matter of fact, he _wanted_ it.

The sight of those two alone had been very lovely, so the...fascinating reaction from both parties to each other did the trick in sealing his complete attention to these strangers for good. He'd been quite entertained simply by gawking at the other as he walked back while mumbling something over and over, probably to calm himself.

A dazed smile stretched his already parted lips at the cute behavior. This one sure was interesting...

Then again, they all were.

Yet...he in particular proved to be special for some reason.

It was decided, then. He was going to ask this caramel doll out, and damn it if he was going to take a no for an answer. His reputation told him receiving a rejection wasn't really likely, anyway.

So far, the score was 32-0; in his favor, of course. His hand reached out to set the magazine on the table and he pushed the chair back with his legs to stand up.

But as soon as he did that, the adorable boy suddenly stopped walking and practically moving altogether, his expression the perfect depiction of shock. It surprised him as well, the abruptness of it all, and thinking it had been because of him, he halted his advances as to getting up from his seat immediately.

In a second, it all went from him standing there to him being pinned against the very lovely subject B, who by the way had gone totally unnoticed to him up until then. The embrace was returned after little hesitation, growing much more affectionate and intimate when the taller one pressed his face into **his** brunet's hair and murmured something, not at all weirded out by such display of fondness, which meant it was either a normal occurrence, or a welcomed one.

Somehow, knowing his pretty thing wasn't really his only sparked the interest he had even more.

It wouldn't be long before he made him his, anyway.

It would be easier than he initially thought, now that he knew it wasn't exactly new territory he was stepping into.

He watched boredly as the black-clad one stood by the counter and talked with his 'friend', doubtlessly saying goodbye judging by the fact that he was paying and (this one annoyed him to admit) the sad look on the other's face. Without much small-talk, his rival finally walked out.

And now he had _him_ all to himself. How sweet.

He was already on his way even before the soon-to-be discarded loverboy had opened the door to leave. The charm was officially on, he had his shiniest smile and a pleasant greeting on the tip of his tongue; breaking the ice should've been easy.

Only it never got to happen.

It seemed this guy didn't want to be wooed because he unexpectedly ran after his cute boyfriend, going as far as to almost push past him in his haste to do so. He ground his teeth and grunted. Rejection he could handle (they all eventually gave in), but being completely ignored like that...

What he found when he glanced outside, however, was more than enough to make him overlook the bitterness, if only slightly. Something was definitely going on there, if the expressions and stances told him anything.

There was a man with them now.

A man that looked rather familiar...

He didn't have the chance to remember where he'd seen him before his beautiful boy threw the man onto the floor with graceful simplicity, a move that sent him into the gaping mode and he could only watch the scene unravel in front of him in slow motion. His eyebrows rose and he forgot about his bruised pride.

"Holy crap..." He found himself uttering, deadpanned for only a few seconds, and cracked a wavering smirk. Oh, yeah, he was special alright.

By the time the brunet went back inside, he was back into his chair, appearing to be lost in his magazine.

Hm, well...tomorrow would be a new day.

* * *

"Good to have you back, Chazz." Misawa's insightful gaze stabbed into his firmly and he gripped his shoulder, his injured one at that, kinda tight between his fingers. A most likely spiteful comment about that would've slipped through his lips if he hadn't noticed the concern and relief on his face and the tense line of his smile.

So instead of snapping at him, the youngest Princeton regarded his friend with a nod and the ghost of a smile.

"Yeah, detention was really boring without you there to throw stuff around and beat me and Jay." Syrus' words threw him off guard, something he didn't bother keeping from showing on his features. Acting on pure whim, he reached out and pulled the shrimp into a playful head-lock, grunting amusedly at the half-hearted resistance he found.

"Didn't know you were into that kinda thing, dork!"

Bastion held up a finger, taking on that common educative look while they continued to tussle around. "And it's actually _Jaden and I_, Syrus."

The mention of that name shoved the dark haired teen out of his teasing mood and right into a serious one. "Speaking of Jaden, where is he?"

Not that he'd forgotten **in the least**, but it was always nice to pretend he had. They both blinked at him before the British teen shook his head. "I have no idea."

They didn't have any more time to muse over that since the bell rang loudly over their ears and trapped them in the middle of a fierce, loud stampede. He received more stares and whispers than usual because of his wounds, which really wasn't that unexpected, so he shook them off.

What he did not expect, though, was the careful, sweetly scented hand that smoothed over his temple, feeling the dressings.

The fact that it was Alexis' hand was even more startling. He merely watched her for an instant, mute and curious as to what she was doing. She retreated almost distractedly, eying his expression with a tender smile. "I heard about what happened. How are you feeling, Chazz?"

It took him a life-long moment to realize that he wasn't having the reaction he should at her kindness and touchy feely attitude. There was no blush, no fluttering, no awe...nothing.

And to be completely honest, it wasn't like it truly meant enough for him to worry about not responding, either. Not anymore.

Another second to process that and allow his heart to leap back into its place after dropping low enough to reach the floor; his lips spread into the most dead and empty smile he was able to offer.

One that was unbelievably convincing only one person there could be able to see through.

"I'm great, actually. It really wasn't that bad, so..." He shrugged casually and kept the expression, as hard as it was. When she patted his chest affectionately and turned around to walk away, he felt so happy and confused and just so terribly relieved. The fact that she didn't suspect the lies he'd spoken or much less fathom the deceptiveness behind his beam...it was amazing.

It didn't tip her off, perceptive as she was. It didn't creep her out, even if he had felt scared and sickened himself by feeling it on his face. She'd been merrily oblivious to his poor act.

She...was not **it**.

At least now he knew for sure.

Syrus and Bastion probably took his wide-eyed, vacant stare for some kind of awed, love-sick haze. Well, it might have been it, but not over whom they thought it was.

He followed her example and spun on his heels to make his way to his first class.

The uncharacteristically bored and brooding look on the slacker's face was the very first thing he noticed when he stepped inside the already full and chaotic classroom, regardless of the unwanted attention. It shouldn't have been that easy to find him; not normally, anyway, and he realized exactly why.

Out of everyone, Jaden was the only one who was on his seat...and quiet. He could've laughed at the weirdness of it all had the situation been any different. Or completely different.

His chin rested lazily on the heel of his hand as he stared out the window and there was not a thing out of place on top of his desk, unlike always.

And his eyes...they were as hollow and cold as the smile he'd given Alexis earlier. Still, instead of vomiting and screaming at the melancholic sight, he hummed cheerfully.

Whatever had brought the brunet down like that didn't really matter because he was there to make it better, now.

He pushed the chair away from the desk next to the dork's (which was on the front row, so he had to suppress a girly scream) and slipped into it smoothly, supporting his arm on the back of it to address him better. "Hey, what's with the long face, slacker?"

As expected, Jaden's reaction was freaking epic. The guy just...froze. The only sign that he'd heard him was the widening of his eyes and the halt in the tapping of his little finger against his upper lip.

A light smirk bled through his mocking mask at the sight, and stayed there even after the other slowly turned around to look at him.

Somehow, he was sure the slacker knew exactly what that crooked meant. All the feelings and words trapped in it.

_It's alright_, it seemed to whisper, the reassurance of it hovering in the air above them.

"I know." He barely heard Jaden say — he was too focused on the smile that touched his lips as he said it to notice anything else.

Too much, in fact, that he failed to notice the talking teacher that stood in front of them. Thus, when the man walked through their little haze and into his personal space, he had to flinch rather violently to keep himself from yelping, and so did the brunet.

"Well done, Jaden." The thin, long haired man laid a paper sheet on top of his friend's desk before turning to him. A furry, itchy tail graced against his cheek and nose lazily, making him flinch again and scratch his nose furiously.

Exactly the reason why he didn't like cats.

He glared at it with all his might and that stupid pig with paws and long tail just yawned. Banner stared down at him, wearing that same dull smile and began speaking to him in his weird accent. "Chazz Princeton, I was made aware of your condition." He brought a hand up to brush his fingers against his chin. "Yes, I was really worried, so it's good to see you're fine."

"Oh, good God, you're not gonna hug me or anything, are you?"_ 'Your sexual orientation is very suspicious, already..._'

His comment was skillfully ignored. Their teacher slid his palm over his pet's back and it purred happily in response. "You're still going to take an exam, only yours will be slightly different, '_Up the suspicion by 40 percent..._' "-but we'll discuss it later."

"Alright." The black haired teen nodded compliantly. Whatever it took to get this cat-loving freak off his back for a while.

The man walked past them to hand the rest of the results, thankfully. He looked back to the slacker as soon as he did, and found him glancing boredly at Banner out of the corner of his eye, chin back on his palm.

Almost like he'd found him, but there was no gloom on his eyes anymore, so it was okay.

Unconsciously, his own gaze traveled down the other's face, past his arm until they came to rest upon the piece of paper pinned under his elbow. Curiosity got the best of him when he remembered the man's comment, and he squinted his eyes to take a closer look.

His jaw dropped open as a feeling of Déjà vu took over.

An A+, bold and proud and so uncanny, smirked back at them from the top of the exam, right above the slacker's name. He could only gape at him. Jaden must've had noticed his intent stare on him because he turned his head towards him hesitantly, kinda self-consciously under such gawk. "...what is it?"

And then he finally looked down and saw his result. Much to the Chazz' surprise, the moron didn't show much of a reaction to his grade. After a few seconds, he shrugged shyly.

"What?" There was a defensive note on his tone and it made the youngest Princeton smirk, still in happy shock.

Obvious translation — _You weren't here_.

When he threw his head back and laughed for a reason not even he understood all that well, the brunet blushed furiously and grunted, reaction that made him laugh even harder.

--

By the end of the last period, Chazz was relieved and a little bit cheerful to see that Jaden was finally back to normal.

Wearing a pleased smirk, he laid his cheek on his joined hands and offered the moron a sideways glance.

He found a very much asleep, blissfully drooling brunet spread all over his desktop, which was cluttered with paper balls and sheets with doodles on them. All while the teacher calmly went over his lesson even through the loud snores.

Jaden had to be real drained because he pretty much slept through all of the classes.

'_So that was it...he was just tired.' _A pang of pain that was half guilt and half pride dragged all the way down from his throat to his gut at the realization. He must've really worried the heck out of the slacker.

He sighed. Yeah, everything was exactly as he remembered. At least in there, it was.

* * *

Ever so faintly, he could hear his manager's voice going on and on about insignificant stuff about his schedule. She didn't normally cut her chatting to ask him much question; she simply kept talking, most likely pretending he was listening.

Pretending or not, he appreciated her greatly for that.

After all, he'd just spent the whole morning around old geezers that never really had anything interesting to say asides from praises, totally bored out of his head. It had been for the sake of his career, he knew, but that didn't stop it from being numbing and tedious.

The only thing that kept him in a good mood was the lovely possibility of going out for a coffee to meet his unsuspecting, future acquisition.

Ah, well...matters at hand first. He still had the other half of his agenda to go through.

The young man grinned and shifted in his seat in order to look out the dark window of the car. That small café was so close he felt tempted to throw himself out of the running car and walk there.

Not that his silly plan would work, since he was pretty sure the woman sitting across him would hunt him down if he did.

In the middle of an uneventful day like that, on a rather swarming street like the one they were passing, he didn't expect to find anything particularly unusual.

Or most specifically, he hadn't expected to find _anyone_ out of the ordinary.

So _of course_ he almost chocked on plan air when he recognized a very, _very_ unusual pair amongst the crowd, looking as good as he remembered them.

His new favorite two people, weren't they. How **amazing** was that?

At any rate, being a strong believer of destiny, it shouldn't have really come as a surprise. No, it should just confirm his suspicious, instead.

It hadn't been just casualty that he choose that exact coffee shop to chill, or that his adorable rival had chosen that day to show up there to meet his special friend. Meeting those two hadn't been a random coincidence — it had been **fate**.

That brown haired boy was definitely on his destiny, and if he had to take a wild guest, he'd say this one was meant to make some big changes to his future. The interesting thing here would be finding out if it was going to be for the best or for the worst.

It took him about two seconds to notice where the thread of people was actually coming from. A tall but common-looking school stood a block away from where he'd found those two; he remembered the sacks they both had been carrying and his brain had no problem at all putting two and two together.

And then he had the craziest idea ever. One that was so ridiculously tempting and just great that he practically squirmed in delight.

"-charity event next week and you know how long we've waited for an opportunity to meet these men, so..." The long haired woman lost track of her own words the second she noticed the eager look on her star's face.

He was a good boy, but that look was too excited and happy to be about a charity event.

"Aster...?"

Mr. Phoenix turned to her with the same satisfied smile and didn't say anything, just waited for her to continue.

"Are you alright? You seem...more cheery than usual. Don't get me wrong, I'm thrilled to see you like that, but-"

The laughter he let out unnerved more than she would've liked to admit. "I'm perfectly fine, I swear. Now, you were saying...?"

* * *

When Jaden insisted on taking him over to his house for dinner, he honestly couldn't bring himself to decline the invitation. Bea had the day off, and after what happened with his brothers, he was pretty certain he'd come home to find a miserably empty house, something he'd rather avoid if he had the chance.

And even if it would not be the first time he visited the slacker's house, he really didn't know what to look forward to.

His curiosity didn't get to have a long life since he found out almost as soon as he crossed the doorframe. Almost in a nightmare-like motion, arms flew out to pull him down into a warm, sweetly scented trap.

Only he knew this embrace wasn't dangerous at all. Awkwardly but sincerely, he wrapped his own arms around Jaden's mother, the air being pushed out of him in the form of a chuckle. She brought her face close to his cheek and began whispering into his ear, not actually for the sake of discretion, he noticed.

"We were so worried about you!" A faint tightening of her grip was the emphasis for her words. "I'm **so** glad to see you're okay."

The beautiful brunette finally released him from the bear hug and settled for gripping his shoulders lightly to make him meet her eyes, instead. Whenever her face lit up with a happy beam like that, he was able to notice just how much Jaden resembled her.

"Don't worry about anything, kiddo. With the dinner I prepared for you, you'll be as good as new in no time, I promise."

He grinned down at her and cocked his head back to glance at her partner in crime, who stared back at him with that stupid, _gotcha_-smile of his that had a melting effect that only rivaled that of a freaking industrial oven...or some sappy shit like that.

--

He'd already met all of Jaden's sisters sometime before, so it wasn't long before the atmosphere warmed up and they settled into a nice, comfortable conversation. Unconsciously, Chazz dragged his eyes up from his cheesecake to take a quick peek at the slacker and found a serious, frowning moron instead of the overly cheerful one he normally saw.

If he didn't know any better, he'd say the brunet was just sitting there examining his food, deep in thought.

But he knew better, of course.

'_Here it comes..._' Sure enough, no sooner had those words materialized on his mind, the dork shamelessly reached out to stab a few fries from Rachel's plate into his fork while she was too busy grabbing for the ketchup. He was back into his seat in a sec, looking all innocent and expressionless.

A tiny vein popped into youngest Princeton's neck and he grunted, bothered at such antics. Well...at least he used his fork (the one he hadn't used at all the whole time he'd been eating) to steal food and not his greasy hands.

Mischievous yet rightful as always, he had been about to copy the sleazy move he'd just witnessed, replacing the fries for his friend's nearest hand, when the kid swiftly turned her head to stare up at Jaden with a wide, knowing smile and threw a feeble shove at her brother's shoulder.

They both began laughing after that.

The black haired teen dropped any evil attempts and sighed, closing his eyes lightly to block out the thoughts that rushed inside his head at the sight. Against his better judgment, he slid his gaze over every face of the people around him.

The slacker's mom was chatting with Sam about a book, the latter of the two looking kinda eager for a change. Alessa was chastising her father about consuming too much salt as she cut up his food, shaking her head with a disapproving frown and Tony merely let her be, as the flexible, quiet man that he was.

Sometimes, more often than not, he found himself wishing he had a younger sibling. Someone he could feel like he had an obligation of sorts to simply annoy the hell out of; someone that would always be there to pest him, no matter what, strange as that sounded.

Most of the time, though, he become aware of just how impossible it was for him to believe he'd had all that once too. That once upon a time, he had a family too.

A family of his own that he managed to lose in record time because he never ever found the time to just slow down and appreciate it when he still had the chance.

It was gone now, way beyond his reach and if he could, he'd give everything he had to offer if it meant this one beautiful family would never have to go through something remotely close to what happened to his.

But even if they did, he knew they would be alright. After all, they were two broken households tied together by the desire to survive.

And what could be stronger than that?

* * *

The room was unusually dark that day; that was the first thing he noticed when he walked through the door. It didn't take him long to spot his mentor, even through the expected screen of shadows so typical of October nights.

The man was sitting on a large couch, facing away from him and towards the tall window that was more like a glass wall more than anything. A short, auburn coffee table lay solemnly at his feet, presenting the spread out deck of cards that he knew all to well.

Walking a few more steps into the room, he came to stand right behind his friend's back, worrying his bottom lip between his teeth. A nervous habit strange in him, and even if the man could not see his face, he knew it didn't mean he had no way of knowing he was on a crossroad.

He could sense it. His puzzlement.

_Easy_.

An elegantly long, pale hand rose to hover over the cards slowly in a clean, calculated path before coming to a stop. His tutor then tapped one with his index finger and revealed it.

"I've never seen anything like it..."

The sharp, cutting weight of his teeth grinded lightly over soft flesh, even more bruising with every second that passed. "So...what do you think?"

Wide purple eyes scanned the deck contemplatively and closed after a little while. "You're right. This boy...he's certainly different. What is not clear to me is the reason for his appearance into your life."

Without hesitation, he walked around the furniture to perch at the end of the couch, to his friend's right. The concerned expression on the man's face was more than enough to make him break into a sweat. He'd seen him worried only so many times in the past, and even then, through the worst of both their lives, it had always been unsettling.

"There's something about him, an air of ambiguity around him...I have a bad feeling about him. You need to be careful."

Damn...that was exactly what he'd been afraid of. Just what he needed, really. As if the gut-feeling he had churning around his stomach wasn't enough to send him over the edge. "I know. It's just that...I never felt anything like this before."

Desperation laced his tone and his brows knitted together, almost willing the man to just try to understand what he was saying and how important it was for him.

The man seemed to consider this for a bit, pinning his body to the spot with his gaze alone, his next words freezing the blood on his system for some reason. "He could be your downfall, Aster."

Said boy swallowed the lump on his throat was well as he could and looked at his mentor, unwavering. Everything about that situation was brand new stuff for him.

In all the years he'd known him, Sartorius had never been wrong in anything he said or predicted. And even if that wasn't the case, he never questioned his words, anyway. Not once. Simply because he didn't want to. He trusted his friend more than he trusted anyone.

Right now, on the other hand, there was nothing more he wanted than to go against it. "Yeah...but he could also become something special and important to me, so I'm willing to take that chance."

The tone of his voice was final; his mind was set, and there was nothing anyone could ever do to change that. Not until he got what he wanted, anyway, and his friend knew that. It had been his determination that had gotten him so far, after all.

He hadn't been lying when he said he'd never felt so strongly about something in the past. He'd wanted things, of course, but never this badly.

Never so intensely and hopelessly it burned him from the inside out, and he knew that soon enough, he'd be down to ashes if he didn't get that which he desired.

--

The house seemed unfamiliar and cold whenever he walked through it while knowing there was no one else there but him.

Of course, it wasn't like he hadn't been aware of that before. Leather crunched weakly under his weight and he vaguely wondered how long it would take for them to find his body if he happened to die all alone in such a big house.

Morbid, he knew, but in a state of dullness as intense as the one he was buried in, he'd long lost the right to choose the thoughts running through his head.

He wandered his gaze around the vast room in search for something to do, and inevitably, his attention zeroed on the equally large Plasma T.V that took up almost the entire wall. If there was one thing he despised more than anything, Television was undeniably it. It was, in his opinion, the most decadent, mind-rotting invent of humanity.

And _man, _considering every other stupidity written on that list, that was saying something.

But beggars were never choosers, and at this rate, anything that might keep him from trying to shove the decorative flowers up his nose would definitely do.

A comedy show was the first thing that appeared on the screen after he turned it on; only two seconds went by before he changed the channel. Ugh, he **hated** comedy shows, nearly as much as he hated television itself.

The soup opera channel was next. He didn't even bother giving it more than a split second window of opportunity. He went through ten or more channels until he reached one that didn't seem too bad. It was a movie that he'd probably never seen before. Not that he watched a lot of them, anyhow.

He started watching it on a scene of a young couple having a fight. A stupid fight over something petty, judging by the way the woman, who looked rather troubled, was yelling in anger while avoiding eye-contact and the man was just staring at her with a frustrated yet helpless look on his face.

Then, out of the blue, she simply grabbed her coat and purse and slammed the door behind her, move that surprised neither him nor the guy in the movie, apparently.

For a long, quiet moment, the man remained where he was, frozen in middle of the room. He then plummeted down into the couch rigidly with an unreadable expression.

And oh sweet irony, he flipped on the T.V. Chazz couldn't resist the laughter that rise up to his throat at the sight. Someone had to be fucking kidding him.

What was next? If the guy pulled out a gun from behind one of the cushions and shot himself, he wouldn't be even a little bit shocked. Hell, he'd be tempted to follow his example.

The soft, serene voice of a man and the clicking of cutlery and rustling clothes was the only things that could be heard in both his living room and the poor bastard's apartment. How freaking sad was that?

But before he could throw the remote at the screen in hopes of it breaking and bursting into flames, the camera switched angles so that the show or movie the guy was watching could be seen.

It was the typical picture of an ideal, standard family having dinner on Christmas Eve, with the magnificent feast and lights and the tree peeking from the doorframe of the dinning room.

Wearing a bored frown that Chazz was frightened to admit mirrored his own all to perfectly, the dumped loser watched as the old man on the T.V, (alright, it was getting confusing...) gave the common, '_I'm grateful for booze...I mean, for having you here'_ speech to his family.

Even after the guy turned it off and walked out of the room, the youngest Princeton still couldn't find it in him to move a single muscle. The scene hadn't been brilliant or shocking or something out of the ordinary, but...

It came as a bucket of icy water right to his back.

It was just...so hard to believe he'd never have that, again. The fact that his parents, or anyone for that matter, would never be there to spend that day with him again, he was unable to wrap his head around it.

There were so many things he hadn't stopped down to consider or even notice and...

He still had to come around to the fact that the life he'd known from the very start was no longer available.

It was going to be a slow, extensive process, he guessed.

* * *

After such a great dinner, it was only expected that his mother would want to set a habit of having Chazz as a guest every day, as long as he wanted to join them, of course.

Everyone agreed it was an excellent idea, and his grumpy friend was definitely no exception, despite the slight hesitation he showed at first to the invitation. Then his she asked him if his family would have a problem with that and he was forced to watch how the other just fidgeted at her question.

It was too much for him and he quickly stepped in, saying that wasn't the reason for his uncertainty. He knew it was because he was a very shy person and didn't want to be a burden of any kind, so he stressed the fact that it was really no problem and that they would in fact love to have him around.

The smile on the taller teen's face told him his assumption had been right all along even before the guy had said yes, and it made him extremely glad.

But more than anything, the understanding that Chazz would walk home with him on a daily basis, it **thrilled** him.

He was out of the classroom even before the lunch bell had stopped ringing. This time, as weird as it sounded even to him, hunger was not the reason that fueled his overexcitement. Well, maybe it was on second place.

Water flooded his mouth the instant he pictured Dorothy's food and he began considering just what he'd have for lunch beforehand. There were so many options!

When a hand reached out to latch onto his arm and pull him away from the door, his reaction was so slow he still tried to grab the handle for a few seconds. Before he could even part his lips to utter any words, whoever was holding him beat him to the punch and started talking.

"We need to talk." His mental response wasn't sluggish this time. It was Syrus. His childhood friend whipped his head around, as if in search for something, and turned back to him. "Come with me."

There wasn't much someone his situation could say in response to that, so he complied without verbal resistance.

The other led him back from where they both have come from, a bit deeper into the hallway, and Jaden kept his gaze fixed on him the entire time, examining every expression that ghosted by his face.

It wouldn't have taken all the years of friendship they had for him to notice Sy was really nervous; he looked everywhere but at him, and he licked his lips a couple of times before actually speaking.

"Look, I-I'm sorry, Jay." Those huge and expressive gray eyes finally met his, and the brunet was able to see and feel the sincerity behind his apology. "You were being honest with me and I...I acted like a complete jerk."

The brunet regarded his best friend with a passive stare for a moment. Just for as long as he considered his own feeling and thoughts and sorted through them to gather them clearly. He would only be honest if he said he never blamed Syrus for anything, even if it had hurt him. Why would he?

It wasn't like either of them had expected something like that to happen.

He shook his head with a small grin. "It's okay, I understand. It really _was_ a lot to take in."

Syrus gave him that familiar wide-eyed look and nodded. "Yeah, it was, but I didn't react like a friend would. Like a _real_ friend would. I was confused and angry because I felt like I was losing you. You had been acting weird and mysterious and I didn't know what else to think anymore."

Alright...maybe he had a point there. He _had_ been keeping things from Sy, and he had been ignoring him too, even if that was never his intention. Then again, it wasn't like he knew what to think when everything began, either.

Back then, he'd been just as clueless.

Jaden shook his head again, the grin replaced by a sad scowl this time. "I know. I made a mess of things. I lied, I made everything a lot more difficult than it was and for that I'm sorry. Believe me, I am." He closed his eyes and shrugged. "Not speaking to you at all would've been **way** easier..."

Sy smiled and punched his arm lightly, playfully and the weight of the world climbed off his shoulders in a flash, letting him breathe again in a rush of relief that he almost didn't remember anymore.

After almost two weeks of silence, the two friends shared a good fit of laughter that came as a nice reminder of the old, better times. When the next day was as far as they planned in advance and catching a cold was the very worst thing that could happen.

"So..." He held out his hand, wearing a beam that had been getting dust from the lack of use, and raised his eyebrows in a hopeful fashion. "We're good?"

"Hm..." In a teasing mood, apparently, Syrus took a pause before answering, frowning like he was considering his proposal. His straight face couldn't last very long and he squeezed his fingers into their usual handclasp. "Yeah, of course."

"There you are, dorks."

The fact that Chazz could be gloomy and sinister-looking enough to scare small children was of public knowledge by now. Still, his brief yet loud girly scream was completely uncalled for.

Thankfully, none of them seemed to think much of it. "I've been looking for you everywhere."

His mind impulsively started racing, searching for a decent excuse to explain their absence. It wouldn't have been hard to find one.

But God help him, he never got the chance to say it. He watched, in slow motion, as Syrus turned to face the youngest Princeton and started talking.

* * *

When he arrived at the cafeteria and found that neither the slacker nor the shrimp were there, a weird sense of worry rushed inside his chest and it was too sudden and embarrassing that he had to cringe at the feeling.

They were usually already chomping on their food like a pair of talking, little animals by the time he got there.

He spotted Bastion amongst the crowd and dashed towards him as soon as his legs responded him. The unexplainable urgency to find those two morons was so stupidly big he ran right into a girl, and she, being a girl, tipped her plate over so that his chest would receive the stains and not her pretty skirt or blouse.

The desire to kill her was overwhelming and pressing but really trivial, nevertheless.

The British teen regarded his disgraceful state with a blank expression and swiftly pointed towards the hallway, saying he'd seen them talking there a minute ago. If anything, the mention of them chatting made him all the more curious to find them.

He hadn't been that absent-minded to not notice they way those two hadn't been speaking to each other at all for the past few days.

Not even he knew why he wanted to look for them. Misawa had just seen them, after all, and the chances of him failing to mention they were in some kind of trouble were not very promising.

It didn't take long to find them, in any case.

At first glance, nothing seemed to be out of place in the scene. They both looked kinda happy, actually, which was slightly frightening because they were still not rushing towards the cafeteria, slipping on each other's trail of saliva on the way.

In fact, their relaxed stances told him they were in no hurry to go anywhere anytime soon.

He approached them noiselessly until he was within reach. "There you are." At the very sound of his voice, the brunet let out a piercing yelp that startled him a bit at first. Right...perhaps he'd been too sneaky while walking up to them. "I've been looking for you everywhere."

Not exactly the truth, only they didn't really need to know that, so...

The terrified stare he was receiving from the slacker caught his attention immediately, and he would've asked him what the hell was going on if Syrus hadn't started talking to him.

"Listen, Chazz. I know you probably don't care either way, but I just talked to Jay and...I'm okay with you two being toge-"

Before he could make any sense of what the other was telling him, Jaden grabbed the shortie and pressed him against his chest, silencing him effectively without much delicacy. "SY! Look at that, they're serving fried shrimp today, LET'S GO!"

And...they were both gone, just like that, way faster than he could even blink.

Minutes passed and he was still standing there, frozen and not really breathing.

* * *

"Mhn-mfh...mmh!"

Regardless of the instinctive struggle and the muffle sounds that were surely pleas demanding him to stop or at least slow down, he didn't.

It must've been really uncomfortable for Syrus, being dragged along on such a frenzied, clumsy attempt at a full sprint. He was aware of that and he was so very, very sorry, but he quickened his pace, nevertheless, running more rapidly than it should've been possible for two people joined together.

It took him a while to realize they had been going in the opposite direction all along. If he'd had a free hand, he would've slapped himself numb.

He tried to glance back to see if Chazz was by any chance following them, still not loosening the speed. Precautious move and it would've been also intelligent if he had included Sy into the equation. His friend chose that exact moment to shift the path of his footing, causing their legs to tangle together on the next step they took.

They both French-kissed the ground with a stifled grunt and a low, empty thud.

Somehow, even in times like these, it seemed Sy and him were exactly on the same channel because they got up wordlessly and jumped into the nearest classroom in an almost programmed fashion. Once the door was closed, the other turned to him sporting the most terrified and hysterical expression he could possibly have.

"HE DIDN'T KNOW?!"

With any luck, anyone passing by wouldn't feel curious about the screaming and would simply keep on walking, pretending they didn't hear a thing. "NO, HE DIDN'T!"

When he suddenly shut his eyes and burst out laughing, he honestly didn't know if it was actually out of amusement or to keep himself from himself from having a nervous breakdown. It was a tie, he guessed.

Either way, it sure worried the heck out of Syrus. And himself.

"Oh no..." His friend started hyperventilating after that. "I'm sorry, Jay, I'm so sorry! I didn't know, I swear!"

He knew the other would explode if he kept that up, but no matter how much he tried to stop the giggles in order to smack him and shut him up once and for all, shaking his head was all his mad attack of glee allowed him to do.

Well...it had to end someday. "I'm sorry, please forgive me! And **stop laughing**!"

The way his voice quivered with mirth at the last part made Jaden cackle even harder.

Syrus leaned on his doubled-form and joined him in his frenzy, near-mental-collapse state. His stomach was now scrunched up and sore from all the laughing, and after one last sigh, he came down from his high and into an adequate level of awareness.

"You worry way too much, buddy. It's not like I wasn't planning on telling him soon, so it's okay." He'd been just about to tell him himself a few days ago, after all.

But...everything was different, now. He wasn't as brave about it as he'd been then, and losing the opportunity of seeing more of Chazz everyday after school would hurt him more than he'd like to admit.

Not that he'd tell Sy about that. Instead, he shoved him slightly. "Hey, I wasn't kidding about the fried shrimp! Come on, I'm _starving_..."

--

After their little encounter, the youngest Princeton became eerily quiet. Even as they walked home, he didn't say a word unless it was really necessary.

Absently, he glanced at the other out of the corner of his eye. A calm, pensive expression peeked from underneath his dark hair and the collar of his coat as he shoved his hands into his pockets, and it seemed his bad-thoughts sensor was out of it today since he hadn't given him so much as a suspicious glance.

Hell, had he even looked at him?

Chazz knew. There was no other explanation for that kind of behavior. He was probably just coming over for dinner out of courtesy and planned to make up some excuse later to not have to come again.

Something inside him (his heart, he guessed) exploded disastrously and took all of his oxygen away from him until his head was as light as a feather.

It was actually over.

In a second, the misery turned into weak anger.

He ignored him, smacked him around, and insulted him...Sometimes it seemed trying to have a decent conversation with him wasn't even worth the trouble. His mind got so full of bad memories that the urge to just turn around and strangle the life out of the black haired teen became too appealing and promising.

He was the only one who had to deal with the aftermath of the other's cruel attitude, and he put up with it, overlooked his hostility as best as he could because he knew Chazz did like him and that was just his way of showing his care. How many people besides him knew that, or even cared enough to try to find that out?

Everyone got fed up and left after the first two biting comments. He didn't.

**He**_** didn't**_.

So he wanted more of Chazz than he was possibly willing to give, so what? It wasn't like he was forcing himself on him, for goodness sake. If he didn't want to, then he didn't and that was it. Unlike most people, he could take a no.

But _no_...

Oh, God forbid he should want something for himself for a change.

This little prick was so freaking frustrating, and yet...he couldn't help but to notice just how dazzling and graceful he looked while the wind played with his hair and clothing.

He seemed to grow more and more gorgeous as the weather darkened and October blossomed slowly, like he had some sort of supernatural bound with it.

Yeah, that was right. Chazz was like the autumn. He was like everything it meant, the epitome of it.

He was the yellow moon-lit nights, every colorful sunset and the sweetest Halloween threat. Not too cold, and not warm either; somewhere in between, something beautiful and special. He was everywhere, out in the open, and he was still unreachable. Like an art piece behind a glass, he was there for everyone to admire but for no one to have. No one could own him...

Not even him.

The Autumn turned just slightly to look at him with the most serenely sad expression and inevitably, his heart skipped a painful beat.

Somewhere near a nervous breakdown, the brunette nibbled at his lip in deep thought. He seriously wondered what the object of his musings would think about him if he could peek inside his mind for just a split second.

_'He'd be grossed out of his mind, that's what..._' Or maybe he'd beat the crap out of him with a happy smile.

Or both...You never know with Chazz Princeton.

In front of him, he heard the almost imperceptible hitch of breath that always preceded hesitant words coming from the black haired teen..and nothing more.

Thin lines of fresh, white anger wind up inside his chest and he had to bite his tongue to keep himself from shouting.

The delightful, nutty rush of happiness he'd felt earlier seemed now so distant and silly. Because even if patching things up with Syrus had been amazing and it'd brought him such an immense relief, he knew his problems were far from magically fixed.

He still had a long, long way to go, and it was a road that could possibly lead to a great deal of pain and a huge disappointment, but at least now he wouldn't have to go through it all by himself.

And he truly couldn't bring himself to ask for anything else.

'Wow_...that sounded wrong..._'

God, since when was he so demanding of life? He'd always been so grateful for every small thing he had and happy to be able to keep them for as long as he could. It had always been enough for him, whatever he had, and he'd never wanted anything else. What was so different now?

Chazz spared a brief glance in his direction again and a sinking feeling shook his entire being in a second, making him close his eyes.

The difference was there, walking alongside him.

He'd found something that he wanted. But no matter how much he'd grown to even need that, it was the one thing he couldn't have.

(End of Chapter 16)


	17. Just Between You And Me

**Authoress' Note:** You probably hate by now, so...here it is.**  
Summary: (AU fic)** When you suddenly find your life shattered, you learn that love can be found in the most unpredictable places. Takes place through their last year of high school, so if you're looking for a Duel monsters story, this is not for you. ChazzJaden**  
Pairings:** ChazzJaden and one-sided JadenAster, a bit of JesseJaden, but there'll be other pairings as well.**  
Warnings:** No warnings for this one.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Yu Gi Oh GX, its characters or any of the songs mentioned. Lou Gramm, Foreigner's awesome singer and one of the best voices in the genre, owns the title. 

* * *

Chapter 17  
"**Just Between You And Me"**

When Syrus and Jaden finally made it to the cafeteria, their attitudes were completely different.

Which only meant they knew something he didn't, and they weren't planning on telling him, either.

That realization knocked his ability of rational thinking even farther away from his reach. It didn't take a genius to figure out what the dork meant by saying something like that, but it did require an impartial point of view and _that_ he definitely lacked at the moment. Had been lacking for weeks, now.

Maybe it wasn't what he thought it was and the hope and longing were playing tricks on his mind, making him hear things. It was possible. He hadn't been thinking very straight in the past weeks. Or maybe he heard perfectly right.

He didn't want to build up his hopes too high, either way.

Right now, even if he didn't want to admit it, the slacker's friendship was the only reason his sanity was still intact. Having dinner with such a beautiful family gave him something to look forward to for a change, and he didn't want to ever ruin that. He just couldn't afford losing that, not now that he was all alone.

His already crushed spirit would not be able to take it.

It was terrifying...needing something, _someone_ so much, but missing them even when they were within reach, at arm-length, _that_ was **ridiculous**.

Many, many times, he tried to speak out and simply say what was on his mind, what he felt, and each and every time, he came up with nothing. Not a word managed to make it past his throat.

Jaden, as expected from him considering his oblivious nature, didn't seem to notice a thing.

And as expected from him considering his own evasive nature, when he finally found something to say, it didn't have anything to do with what he really wanted to talk about. "Hey, you mind if we stop by my house first? I need a clean shirt."

He honestly thought the brunet would wave him off and insist on lending him one of his own. Instead, he just nodded.

Also, now that he noticed, the slacker wasacting real quiet and disconnected and...unlike himself. He did speak and made an occasional comment every now and then, but he usually talked on and on until he was out of breath and started all over again after a lungful of air. The guy even liked to sing sometimes.

He tried to make it as fast as possible; only go upstairs to get what he needed and come right out. However, his little plan was completely discarded the second he saw Beatrix walk into the hall at the same time as them.

Since she hadn't been around much after he'd reached a full recovery, finding her there was surprising for him.

Her features lit up and she approached him with a smile to hug him briefly, despite the huge stain on his chest. It wasn't all that bizarre, much less unpleasant, but it was sudden and so he stared down at her, wearing a calm, questioning look.

"Tomorrow is the big day!" Her gaze inspected his form up and down in open awe. "My God, time really does fly by, doesn't it?"

That did the trick in respect of confusing him. She turned away before he could ask what she meant by that, though.

"Hello, Jaden. It's so good to see you." Much to his relief, the chocolate eyed teen smiled at her straight away and bowed slightly. It had been getting scary, not seeing it plastered on his face as always.

"Hi, Bea. Nice to see you, too." There was an obvious streak of curiosity on his expression, meaning he wondered what she meant by 'big day' as much as he did.

She swiftly traded her warm beam for a frown as her eyes returned to him. "Oh..." That was all the woman could say once she noticed the evidence of somebody else's lunch on his clothes, and she held up a finger at him. "Wait here."

When she came back after just a few seconds with one of his favorite, long-sleeved shirts, he couldn't bring himself to be shocked.

"There. I was just doing the laundry."

Had he ever mentioned how much he loved her?

* * *

Unfazed, he dodged the tennis ball that was surely aimed for his head and grabbed a cushion to rest his head. Chazz bent down to fish the ball from the carpet and tossed it back to his little sister, smirking at the equally mischievous kid.

"He just got lucky. Try again."

The brunet stared at him in faint disbelief for only a moment before rolling his eyes. No wonder he and Rachel had been getting along so well, situation that would only mean even more torment for him in the long run.

He tried to ignore that as best as he could and turned to face his friend with a lazy pensive frown. "Hey, man...what's so special about tomorrow?"

The youngest Princeton, who sat on the personal couch across from the large one he was currently sprawled all over, regarded his question with a distant, puzzled expression and shook his head. "I don't know...what day is it?"

From his usual seat on the dinning table, his step father lowered the newspaper he was reading to answer their question. "Today is October 13th."

Judging by the dreamy stare and the puff of breath he shoved through his parted, smiling lips, Chazz had just remembered exactly what day it was. "I completely forgot about it..."

The brunet quickly sat up, his entire attention focused on him. "What is it? What did you forget?"

At his question, he could've sworn the other kinda shrank into his seat like a red-handed liar under the interrogating light, his tone uncharacteristically hesitant and low. "...my birthday."

The two words had been hardly audible and still, the whole household practically screamed in unison at his answer. "**What?!**"

* * *

Most people would ask him how in the hell could he manage to forget something like that, but after everything he'd gone through in the past weeks alone, the correct question would be _how could he not_.

And even if he put that aside, birthdays were supposed to be special because the people around, family and friends alike, made it into something special. All alone as he was, what would he do? Yell '_yay for me_', sing happy birthday to himself and choke on a piece of bread for the lack of a decent cake?

He _could_ do it, but what would be the point? Insanity wasn't that much good of a company and making a fool out of himself wouldn't make him feel any less lonely, as funny as it could be.

He grunted and buried his face into his hands. Everything would be a lot easier if everyone didn't make such a big deal out of a stupid anniversary.

* * *

He had no way of knowing if Chazz already suspected anything, and even if he did, it didn't really matter. He was very smart and trying to keep something from him was an unnecessary task that would require too much effort. His mother and Tony started plotting everything as soon as the guy walked out the door, triggering a chaos that he hadn't witnessed in years.

By the time they realized he was the only one who knew enough details about Chazz to put a party together, they had already planned everything out.

Past experiences with the spiky haired teen told him strawberry cake and coffee would be the only way to go. Anything without carrots would do for dinner, there were a couple of fine stations that played the kind of music he knew the other would enjoy and his mom had enough birthday candles stored to build a replica of the Eiffel Tower as tall as he was.

Picking out the perfect gift was the only thing left to do.

His parents had mixed opinions about that. While his Mom wanted to get him clothes, like a coat or a nice shirt, his stepfather leaned more towards CD's or something like that. In the end, she chose a coat and he bought a Foreigner's greatest hits disk.

Amazing...they probably wouldn't have needed his opinion, after all.

Night went down upon his unsuspecting head and he still didn't know what to get for him. Not knowing something of that importance about his friend was embarrassing, but the fact that his folks picked out their presents before him, that was just disturbing.

He nose-dived into his bed and let out a loud groan that was swiftly swallowed by his pillow. '_And the award for the worst friend ever goes to..._me!'

Turning to lay on his back, the brunet closed his eyes and sighed. Time was running out.

Perhaps he was trying too hard. Then again, he had to if he wanted to give him something outstanding. Something so special and significant and simply mind-blowing Chazz would only be able to stare at it in sheer awe. He wished for nothing more than to see those silver eyes lit up with joy and admiration, all the while knowing it was all because of him.

The rush of excitement faded away as quick as it had come and he sat up, feeling completely defeated and hopeless. That extraordinary gift most likely existed only inside his fantasy world.

And then he saw it, leaning forlornly against the wall with an air of melancholic beauty radiating from it. It exuded great elegance and the glow of its smooth, dark skin seemed to tell countless of stories, amusing and heartbreaking ones all the same, like a book written with feelings and pictures instead of words.

A sad smile stretched across his lips.

* * *

When John appeared out of nowhere, holding a red cupcake with a lit candle on one hand and linking his other arm around his shoulders so casually, his mind accepted what his gut had been suggesting ever since he'd woken up.

That day was going to be everything but normal and uneventful for him.

The man smirked at him lazily, utterly unruffled by the passionate glare he was receiving. Chazz' scowl deepened. "How the hell...?"

"I have access to your personal record, remember?" Their gazes locked for just a moment before the man let out a chuckle and shrugged. "Relax. Jaden told me."

Wow...the slacker was such a little snitch, wasn't he? He hadn't expected anything less, anyway, so he couldn't bring himself to be annoyed. The young teacher reached up and put something on top of his head; a stupid birthday hat like the one he was wearing if he had to take a guess.

He then brought the small desert closer to his face in an insistent manner.

"Come on, blow it out. I don't have all day." The playful tone and his past experiences, however, told the youngest Princeton otherwise. Shooting the brunet (annoying brunet #2, now that he thought about it) one last dirty look, he puffed out a short breath and extinguished the tiny flame in a split-second.

He didn't think much of it when John plucked out the candle without removing the cupcake from the proximity of his face.

Big mistake.

With a flash of crimson, the cupcake met a tragic end and crashed against his nose and mouth and he was forced to take a lungful of icing. "Argh!" He spit out the unwanted sweetness and spun around with murder on his eyes; by then, the man was already on the farthest end, laughing as he ran for his life. "What are you, a freaking buffoon?!"

A loud, now distant crackle was his only answer.

"Come back here, asshole!"

"_Mr. Princeton_."

"..."

...**damn** **him**!

Little by little as to not upset the beast even more, he turned to fully address death, which on this case went by the name of Sheppard. "I'll have you know that kind of language is _not_ allowed inside this school."

Son. Of. A bitch...

--

Lucky for him, the headmaster was on a pleasing, indulgent mood that day (must've paid Dorothy an early visit...) He decided to let him keep his head for the time being and only sent him to detention, not before he washed the red off, obviously.

Perfect. Even if detention during lunch had to be a crime, at least it would give him enough time to carefully plan the slow, excruciating demise of that short bastard. Oh, payback would be so sweet.

Jaden and Syrus had been nowhere to be seen ever since the day started, and the lack of idiocy in the air made the breaths he took more and more dizzying with every minute that passed.

It couldn't be anything fishy related to his birthday because the weird, secretive attitudes had appeared way before he told the slacker about that. That left him with only one conclusion: his 'friends' were clearly avoiding him.

Expending his birthday alone was, of course, not a scenario he hadn't contemplated already. Still...considering something and have it actually happen were two completely different things, and they certainly didn't feel the same. Being right about a bad feeling was _never_ pleasant.

He knew he wasn't exactly the most lovable, helpful friend that had ever walked the earth, but he didn't deserve to be left alone like that, either. No one did.

The walls of his throat grew taut, much tighter than a rubber band stretched out to its breaking point, and no matter how hard he swallowed in a desperate attempt to get it to loosen up _only a little bit_, it didn't work.

Just what he got for being so damn trusting and arrogant. Did he seriously think they would like a conceited, nasty bastard like him? Was he really that naïve?

He tried to recall if he'd said anything to those two, any particularly mean comment that might've offended them to the point of deciding they finally had enough of his pissy attitude; his mind came up with zero results.

'_You know Jaden. That's not like him.'_

His hands were shaking cold and the anguish showed on his features, so plain and authentic now that the hallway he strolled through was completely empty. He wanted to believe in the words the voice inside his head was screaming at him, almost too hopelessly.

But just when he thought the old and tattered rug that was his life would unravel thread by thread right before his eyes, the door of the detention room swung open and he found a sight that literally rooted his feet to the floor.

Syrus stood by the teacher's desk, lighting the candles and adding the final sissy touches to a small, light brown cake, and Bastion was right next to him, wearing a smile that looked too stupid on his normally serious face, with the cord for the blue balloon that floated above his head clutched in his hand.

Something was missing...

"**Surprise**!" An arm curled around his neck and he turned to meet the slacker's gaze, their noses a few good inches apart. "Heh, you didn't think we forgot about your birthday, did you?"

He meant it as a joke and yet it hurt Chazz more than an obvious lie to the face — knowing the truth behind it that everyone else was oblivious to.

'_Can't you just be happy you were wrong and enjoy yourself for a change?'_

And for once, he actually listened to what he guessed was his common sense.

* * *

"So the three of you got in trouble just to throw me a party? Are you all insane?" He yelled at them in halfhearted indignation, scowling faintly as they walked out the main gates of the school.

Right, perhaps if he chastised and called them freaks he would be able to convince himself he wasn't glad at all about their reckless actions. Jaden merely shrugged and grinned even wider. "Yeah, sometimes...John helped too by getting rid of everyone else stuck in detention with us." In a second, like an afterthought, he snapped his head towards him. "Why? Didn't you like it?"

Chazz knew that although those chocolate eyes were amused, there was pure, cold insecurity hiding in their depths. He erased the frown from his brow and smirked at him, instead. "Of course I did. What can be better than coffee cake and stupid friends singing for you?"

No, seriously. What could be better than that?

"It wasn't exactly what you'd call a massive party, but let's face it: that's probably _your_ fault, Chazz."

He decided he would let the shrimp get away with such unnecessary comment, at least for now. It definitely called for a rain check, though. Time to be a corny little miss. "No, it's okay. You guys are all the company I need. You, Jaden and that British guy over there. What was his name, again...?"

A shove to his arm from Bastion made him stumble forward, drawing a laugh out of him.

--

He really hadn't been expecting to receive anything from Jaden's family. In his opinion, their kindness and acceptance had been more than enough to make him feel so thankful.

Because what gift could ever top feeling welcomed and part of a something bigger, something indestructible and invaluable? What was better than being in a family that treasured him for exactly what he was and didn't demand anything from him in return?

The coat from Jaden's mom was awesome and so scarily like him; it was like he'd chosen it for himself. And who the hell didn't love a classic band like Foreigner?

The dinner, as usual from her, was incredible and the freshly brewed coffee she prepared for him tasted just as good as her son's.

He was sipping his way through his second cup when the brunet came up and asked him to join him outside. He didn't really understand why the other insisted on going outside. Either way, he couldn't bring himself to decline.

It had sounded weird and pointless when he suggested it, but now that they were out, sitting on the steps in front of the door, it actually seemed like a pretty good idea.

Whatever it was, it had to be important or he wouldn't be acting so somber and mysterious about it.

And he, being a sarcastic prick, felt horribly tempted to crack a joke about how he looked like he was going to get on one knee and pull out a ring or something like that.

But then he stood up and pulled out from behind the swinging couch that flanked the door something that was far, far better than a diamond ring worth over ten million dollars.

A black Les Paul with a beauty that seemed to be beyond the plane of the describable reflected the light of the lamp above them, flashing them a bright, confident smirk.

He watched, in a stage of trance that was hands-down superior to mesmerized, as the slacker sat down next to him and carefully placed it over his legs, running loving fingers across the strings.

His only wish became being allowed to touch it; nothing more. If he could do that, he knew his head would clear up and all of his problems would leave him for as long as the contact lasted.

Jaden lifted it from his lap using both hands and gave it one last look before holding it out.

Amazing. He didn't even have to ask. Ever so meekly, he raised his arms to take it, mentally reminding himself to treat the guitar offered to him like it was made of the finest glass and would break at the slightest mishandle.

The brunet chose that exact second to say, "I want you to have it."

The request, naturally, didn't register right away and he felt his hands land heavily against his thighs. "...what?" After a small pause in which a deep shock settled over his mind, he frowned. It...was for him? That stunning piece of art was for him? He checked the six words thoroughly as if to make sure he'd heard right. Even if he was sure his ears weren't deceiving him, Chazz could only shake his head, dumbfounded. "How did you-"

For a few seconds, opening and closing his mouth was all he was able to do. Something had to be wrong, there — it was literally too beautiful to be true. How the hell did he manage to get something like that in a day? Better yet, where did he get the money to buy it, in the first place? Guitars were everything but economical, **especially** that one.

The slacker simply smiled at him. "It belonged to my Dad."

He didn't think it would've been possible for his surprise to grow; the light, warm tone he used to say that, however, caused it to escalade into an even higher level.

His friend bent forward slightly and rested it on top of his legs in the same way it had been laying on his just a minute ago. Still mute and in disbelief, the youngest Princeton was only able to accept and support the nice weight. "Though he wasn't exactly a rock star..."

Amused, Jaden raised his gaze to look at his mother, who laughed out at his comment from the doorway, and released a chuckle himself.

"-my old man _did_ know his way around it. After all..." He pointed towards the woman of his life with his chin. She smiled sadly down at him, her cheek resting on the wooden doorframe. "...that's how he won her over."

Knowing he would probably have nothing to say for a while, the brunet continued the conversation without him. The hinges creaked and the handle clicked as his mother wordlessly closed the door they forgot all about.

"Now, music is not really my thing...actually, I suck." Brown, shinny orbs studied his features with patience, almost too carefully. "But you don't, and I know for a fact that you would take care of it and use it like its proper, the way it deserves to be treated. So...take it."

With a twinge of apprehension, Chazz realized his head hadn't stopped waving from side to side. Not even a conscious effort halted the nervous spasms. "I can't...it's too personal." He picked up the guitar to return it but the other put a hand over one of his to stop him. "It means a lot to you."

The slacker narrowed his eyes thoughtfully at his good argument and stared at him for a while before nodding. "Well, that's the only kind of gift worth giving, isn't it?"

Regardless of the situation and the weight of the moment, the black haired teen could've laughed. Sometimes he forgot this was Jaden Yuki he was dealing with here, the only person that could shut him up with the truth and make him feel as little and ignorant as a headstrong, rebellious kid.

Like the headstrong, rebellious kid he really was.

Instead of laughing, though, he lowered his head, hiding his face beneath his spikes. "Thank you." Tears fell off the cold tip his nose, one after another and he bit his trembling lips to keep himself from making a sound.

When a warm hand rested upon his shoulder from behind and slid down to rub his back gently, more tears crashed against the shinny surface of the invaluable keepsake in his hands.

And neither of them said anything.

* * *

The gray curtains dangling from the large balcony window lead the wind inside the room gracefully, tagging along only for as long as they could go before returning to their post, time and time again in a tireless dance that generally went unnoticed.

In the dead of the night as it was, he couldn't find a single ounce of lethargy inside him. Not a single one.

His new roommate lay on the bed next to the edge on which he sat, waiting eagerly for him to be ready. He grinned. Oh, yeah, he was good at reading emotions from inanimate objects.

This thing, though...it didn't feel _that_ lifeless, somehow. Either way, he gave into temptation and pulled it to rest over his lap, in the right position. It felt pretty damn nice.

After a minute of hesitation, he finally began playing. He'd learned everything he knew using an acoustic one and that had been the first and only guitar he ever had. Getting an electric guitar never appealed to him much.

To be honest, that was probably because he never actually looked for one. Another big mistake, it seemed.

The notes and chords were exactly the same and the shape was similar, but they were both still so different.

Electric ones were way heavier and the strings were thinner but rougher. Also, the neck was slimmer and they weren't as loud. Well...not without the amp, of course. The excitement over hearing how it sounded like when plugged was almost too much for him.

A smile parted his lips at the thought of knocking paintings off the wall while playing anything from Metallica's repertory, he let his back fall on the covers and simply lay there, holding the most amazing gift he'd ever received.

He still couldn't believe the slacker had done something like that. Giving away something as meaningful and irreplaceable was really hard, and yet he did it in such an effortless, caring way. It showed him just how much he must mean to him, even if he couldn't possibly understand why.

He was always a nasty, arrogant prick who had nothing good to say about anything, and even when he did, he added a twist of disdain to make it bearable for himself, regardless of the feelings he might hurt by doing that. Everybody gave up on him and stopped trying after the first attempt.

But these people were far different than anyone he'd ever met before in his life. Mostly Jaden. He countered the scorn with sincere smiles and stayed no matter how viciously he insulted him to shoo him away.

He saw his spiteful comments for what they really were: a pathetic self-defense mechanism. The guy saw right through it and he never made fun of him for that, not even when he was acting like a royal jerk.

The affection and admiration he felt for the slacker was something he wouldn't be able to put into words.

And then, late but sure, realization hit him at least. "Wait a minute..."

* * *

The next day during lunch, they were eating their food enthusiastically when their taller classmate suddenly came up and tossed out a finger that hit Syrus on the nape before sitting down next to him. A pleased smile materialized on his face at the yelp the other let out. "You owed me that."

His childhood friend winced and nursed his head. "Nice to see you too, Chazz..."

The youngest Princeton ignored the sarcastic comment and focused entirely on him, instead. "Hey...can I ask you something?"

There was something in his tone, a weird deep note that he didn't even bother hiding that well, and Sy must've felt it too because no sooner had he said that, he had already jumped out of his seat stiffly and said, "I'm still hungry, be right back!"

In a second, he was gone, leaving him to his fate as that intense, kinda vampirical eyes examined him meticulously. He knew Syrus' intentions were good and that he was trying his best to be helpful, but right now, the concept of being alone with him didn't look that safe. As much as he knew the other, he couldn't help the sliver of anxiety that stroke his chest at his strange attitude.

"How did you know I can play the guitar?"

Jaden, fortunately, was able to keep the mouthful of pasta from coming out to rain upon the other's face and merely stared at him with a blank look. What was the superlative for screw-up, again? '_He got me there..._'

_Sh...oot_! Did he really need to have such a good memory? Couldn't he just be happy and forget about the little details? "I never told you."

It was definitely the truth but (thank God) he apparently didn't know that for sure because uncertainty clung to the last part of his statement and, seeing the perfect opportunity to save his ass, he took it without hesitating. The brunet nodded calmly, fork still pressed tight between his lips. "You did."

When his friend scowled and glanced around the table, confused, he released the breath he'd been holding. His heart was practically high up his throat, thumping so hard his ears and face were on fire. "I...did? When?"

The small giggle that burst from his chest was too sudden and twitchy to be possibly convincing. Even so, he worked with it and scratched his head shyly. "Sorry, you know my memory isn't the best. Of course I can't remember that kind of things! Heh, heh."

The baffled expression he was receiving remained the same. No signs of mistrusting on that gaze so knew he was on the right track.

"Trust me, though. You did." Lying to Chazz like that had to be one of the hardest things he ever had to do, but it had also been one of the easiest. Just a white little lie, for both of their sakes.

The longest minute in his entire existence passed and the frown was finally soothed from his features, replaced by the usual calmness. "Yeah..." The fact that the guy trusted him enough to believe in his words alone was enough to make him swear it wouldn't happen again. "I guess you're right."

He wasn't really sure how he would react if he knew he'd been watching over him ever since then. That was the one and only thing that bothered him about Chazz — his frightening unpredictability. All he knew was that, whatever his reaction turned out to be, it wouldn't be pleasant for him.

Earning the other's trust had been a difficult, long process, and it was something he would never risk losing. Not after coming so far.

(End of Chapter 17)

---

I don't know if there's any official info about their birthdays or anything like that, and I don't really care – October 14th is my favorite day of the year (prettiest moon ever) so I'm gonna use it as Chazz' birthday.


	18. Welcome To Whatever You Are

**Authoress' Note:** I HATE Jesse (not the character itself but all the troubles he caused between the gang) so if it's not well-written or something, don't blame me.**  
Summary: (AU fic)** When you suddenly find your life shattered, you learn that love can be found in the most unpredictable places. Takes place through their last year of high school, so if you're looking for a Duel monsters story, this is not for you. ChazzJaden**  
Pairings:** ChazzJaden and one-sided JadenAster, a bit of JesseJaden, but there'll be other pairings as well.

**Warnings:** No warnings for this one.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Yu Gi Oh GX, its characters or any of the songs mentioned. Rights for the title go to Bon Jovi. 

* * *

Chapter 18  
"**Welcome To Whatever You Are"**

Water danced as he tipped the glass in his grasp back and forth, and he watched it through sightless eyes, his mind miles and miles away. Insomnia was a rare disease he didn't have much experience with and he struggled to put up with it as best as he could.

He despised the idea of lying on his bed awake for the entire night, so he'd decided to go downstairs and wait it off while eating something good. In the end, he settled for having a light drink.

The excitement he felt about the trip was driving him nuts, even if he could not explain the reason why. Perhaps he was just eager to make some new friends or visit other cities.

Sure, the love he felt for his hometown and his friends was bigger than life itself, but sometimes he found himself wishing he could change the view from the same people and places that were getting old once in a while.

More than anything, he couldn't shake the feeling that all of his expectations would come too short to all the treasures he might find in that journey. Maybe he'd gain a useful, greater knowledge or come across something he'd been missing.

That special thing he needed in order to feel more alive by showing him some kind of purpose.

But at the moment, hoping was all he could do.

* * *

Weekends were real quiet and ordinary for him, and he usually spent them sleeping or practicing piano. Most of the time, though, he just read.

Not a very normal and fun routine, but he had no social life whatsoever and the drone of his brain cells sizzling out of existence while he watched T.V. was extremely distracting, so...that didn't leave him many options.

The sound of the phone ringing startled him out of his deep, deep brooding mood and he looked up from his book with a frown. It had been a long time since he'd heard it, since no one had called his house number in months. It rang twice in short succession, which meant it wasn't actually the phone but the doorbell.

And that was even weirder.

It couldn't be Slade or Jagger because they both had keys, and so did Bea. It also couldn't be a door seller because none of them had dropped by ever since _the incident_, as he'd dubbed it. Chazz smiled. He had to feed those two, now that he remembered.

After a brief walk, he finally got to the telephone in the living room. "Can I help you?"

Shuffling and static was his only answer for a moment before a familiar, cheery voice spoke up. "_Man,_ _I really hope so! Crowler will own my ass for an entire year if I fail his subject._"

A soft growl rumbled inside his throat and he face-palmed himself. How typical of the slacker. "Alright, I'll be there in a minute." Only God knew what would happen to the dork if his hungry dogs greeted him first. He hadn't expected a reply to that.

"_A minute? You sure about that? I mean, no offense, but no one except Flash can run a mile in a minute. Unless...you have a secret, underground passage or something like that...That would be so cool! You'd be like batman._"

"...." **Click**. Okay, _now_ he couldn't wait the 30 seconds it'd take him to get there to beat the crap out of Jaden. He put his reading glasses away to avoid any possible mocking and headed out.

Amazingly, he wasn't tackled as soon as he walked out the door. When he reached the gates, he was more than surprise to find three morons (one with a less-developed brain that the other two) playing around like fools. His pets jumped and barked at him playfully, urging him to open the doors and let their new friend in.

"Keep it down! He's gonna know I'm planning on feeding him to you." The brunet, as expected, didn't look scared at all and simply grinned goofily.

"Look, I got provisions!" He stepped inside and held up the bag he'd been carrying along with his usual knapsack. "I didn't know if you even liked chocolate, so I brought each of every kind, just in case." If he had to make an educated guess, he'd say all those colorful packages he had in there had cookies and other miscellaneous sweets in them.

Cookie freak... "Wait...did you say chocolate?"

Jaden gazed at him with a 'are you stupid' face for a sec and nodded. "Yeah." He must've read the unease on his features because he looked down at the gawking, apparently ravenous dogs and his gaze widened. "Oh..."

* * *

It was days like that one that made autumn so lovely, in her opinion. The fallen leaves were messy and a pain to clean, but they presented a nice view when combined with the wind.

She looked out the window and sighed. Such a beautiful garden...

And then she saw her adorable child and his friend. Well, she heard them before she saw them. It was an interesting mixture of screams and laughter that made her smile just as her eyes spotted them running towards the door, both equally frenzied and amused despite the fact that they were being followed rather closely by Chazz' guardian dogs.

Even when they were out of sight, she could still hear their yells.

"YOU SERIOUSLY NEED A LEASH, MAN!"

"JUST RUN, YOU **MORON**!" Hearing the mirth on his tone for a change was nice, loud as it was.

She turned away and began cutting everything for the salad. Knowing Chazz had been blessed enough to find such a great young man to be friends with made her feel so glad.

* * *

"I take back...what I said...you're actually pretty fast." He was too winded to unleash the rant stewing on his mind, so he only regarded the breathless compliment with a shake of his head and supported his hands on his knees. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Jaden leaning against the door, also fighting for air.

They spared each other a glance and somehow that was all it took for them to realize the hilarity of the situation; he puffed out a chuckle and the slacker doubled over, crackling like a nutty child. He narrowed his eyes and stared at the brunet, still smirking. "Chocolate...really? Why not poison? I heard it's cheaper!"

The dork frowned at him. "Hey, it's not my fault you like starving your own dogs to death!"

Beatrix walked into the hall and smiled at them as soon as they straightened up to face her. "There you are, boys." She turned to his friend and grinned even wider. "Jaden, thank you so much for looking after my kid. Please, let me return the favor and stay here for dinner."

Seeing the infamous Jaden Yuki falter and trade the impossibly happy vibe for a bashful attitude was always awesome, perhaps because he never had that effect on him. It angered him from time to time, naturally, but he enjoyed it whenever he was able to witness any trace of self-consciousness on those caramel eyes. "O-of course."

"Great! You boys go and have fun. I'll call you when it's time."

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"_Bon appetite_!"

"Wow..."

A large plate of lasagna with a thick, crisp sheet of extra cheese, a crystal bowl full of green salad and apple pie for dessert. The word fest simply didn't cut it, in his opinion. This lady didn't joke around — she certainly meant business.

"This looks amazing. Thank you!" One quick peek at Chazz told him he was just as delighted.

"It's my pleasure, really. After all..." She slid closer to the youngest Princeton and came to stand behind him. "-I know dealing with this one can be very tough, sometimes." His cranky friend frowned at her and she reached out to pinch his cheek, making him grunt and scowl even further. "He's still a sweetheart, anyway."

When a blush lit up on across the bridge of his nose and a vein popped on his forehead, Jaden found it was impossible for him not to laugh at the sight. "Am **not**!"

"Yes, you are!"

And war began.

Judging by the halfhearted anger and the flush, it was safe for him to assume that was the way they played with each other. It was fun, getting to see the unguarded, human side he held in reserve, hidden under so many locks it was easy for him to forget all about it.

He knew how much Chazz loved her and that there was hardly anything he wouldn't do for her, so he respected her so much for being able to achieve all that. In his experience, getting such a stubborn prick to open up must've been a pain, so it was really something to behold,

But then she turned to him and caught him completely off guard. "Isn't he the cutest thing ever, Jaden?"

The seemingly innocent question and the smile she threw in his direction forced to reconsider just who she was playing with, exactly. With his face still clutched between her fingers, the dark haired teen froze and stared at him wide-eyedly, also waiting for his answer.

Time slowed down to a stand-still.

In the end, he decided the truth wouldn't hurt much and replied just a split second later. "Yeah! The guy puts bunnies down to shame!" Chazz gasped at his comment, growing a deeper, much more furious shade of scarlet. The woman gawked at him slightly for only a moment at first, the grin that hadn't left her face broadening ever so slowly until she burst out laughing, and he followed her example.

Even as she squeezed his shoulders tenderly and shook him a bit, the shocked, blank expression on his friend's face didn't falter at all. "Enjoy your food." She scanned the table for any imperfections before walking out, whistling merrily.

Once they were alone, the amused mood shifted into an awkward, silent one. The brunet struggled to keep the giggle that tickled his throat from escaping his pursed lips the entire time.

After a long, unbearably quiet gap, the other finally spoke. "You do realize I'll have to destroy you for that, right?"

A short chuckle blossomed from his chest and he glanced down, picking up his fork with a small smirk. "Eat your dinner, honey-bun."

The second gasp from the older teen definitely became the highlight of his week.

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Chazz extinguished any doubts he had about Crowler's last lesson in record time, partly because the lesson had been pretty easy, and partly because his friend was by far the best teacher he'd ever had. Thus, for the lack of a better thing to do, they settled for watching T.V.

The youngest Princeton had been reluctant about the idea until he suggested one of his favorite channels and they happily sat there to watch a live performance from AC/DC. "Hey man, you ever thought about becoming a teacher? You're pretty good, you know?"

A sideway glance and a distracted hum was the only response he received for a minute. "Not really. I'd probably end up strangling a kid or shooting myself."

He doubted that since he was the living proof of the other's patience as a tutor, but he choose not to say anything and just stretched out to lay on the comfortable couch. His head reached the end and he placed it over the also comfy armrest.

Dinner had left him really stuffed and he was growing sleepy by the minute. He shifted to rest on his stomach and yawned.

The sight he found when he opened his eyes was too incredible and adorable it was forever printed on his memory in an instant.

* * *

Okay, this was kinda enough to make him reconsider the bad opinion he had about Television.

Those guys were beyond awesome. New bands were good, but not a single one could compare to the old ones. They just weren't as ingenious and simply talented.

"Is...is that you, Chazz?" The astonished tone the brunet used to say that was more than enough to send a bad feeling straight to his gut. He turned to find the moron on the other end of the couch, reaching a hand out to grab a photograph frame he could've sworn hadn't been there before.

He leant forward to see it more clearly and his jaw dropped. It was the stupid picture that had been in the small bonfire Slade had lit last time he saw him. He'd seen the damn thing burn to ashes with his very own eyes and yet, there it was!

Instinct took over and before either of them knew it, he was already on top of the slacker, fighting for it. He snatched the wickedly immortal snapshot from the other's grip and gawked at it in disbelief.

"I swear this thing is like a _curse_; no matter how many times I destroy it, it always comes back!"

"Wait, I take back what I said, _again_. There **is** something cuter than you: a 6 year old you in a cat costume!" Furious, he stabbed his knees harder against his sides and the idiot let out a laugh instead of the yelp he'd been expecting to hear.

"Shut it, dork! Let's see if it comes back again after I tear it apart and force the shreds down your throat!"

But his plan was quickly thwarted the second someone else stole the frame from his fingers. "Don't even think about it, young man! I love this picture." Bea examined the reminder of one of the most embarrassing childhood memories with a tender face and hugged it protectively.

Embarrassing their children to a scarring level AND recording everything to humiliate them some more when they're older — that's a parent's job.

That was one of his theories, yes, but now the past was coming back to bite him in the ass, all over again! Slade and Jagger had exploited that more than enough, in his opinion.

And how did the slacker know he was 6 when that picture was taken?

He groaned and pulled at his front bangs in utter frustration. "Where the hell did you get it?!" The woman was faster than him and avoided his pawing hand every time he tried to take the damned thing back.

"Your mom gave me a copy, of course."

Somehow, the anger and desperation left his being in a second and he could only stare at her blankly. "She...did?" She examined his expression carefully and nodded. She walked out mutely once she'd set the frame back to its rightful place on the petite table next to the couch.

Inattentively, he removed himself from his classmate's back and dropped back into his seat with the heaviness of a potato sack.

* * *

The silence that fell over their heads wasn't very uncomfortable or pressing but it was a kind of calm that he'd rather not have to experience again for as long as he lived. Because it wasn't about the quiet or the awkwardness, it was about the waiting.

Ever since he'd returned home after seeing Chazz sing to his parent's gravestones, he decided he would wait until the other finally chose to tell him about them on his own. Even if the whole episode with his brothers had made it pretty clear that their parents were gone, he still never really heard him say it directly.

Now it couldn't be avoided and they both knew it.

The older teen bit his bottom lip before actually speaking. "I'm sure you'd probably wondered where my folks were all the time. I never talked about it. And maybe I wouldn't even need to; you may be slow, but I can tell you're not stupid."

He took a moment to offer him a vague smile. It was weird, seeing that emotion so openly on his face. Either way, he couldn't help storing into his memory for the future.

"Anyway...my, uh...mom and dad, they...they both died about three months ago."

Chazz never had to chase or coax his gaze into locking with his own, he noticed. It was usually the other way around and now was no exception. Their eyes found each other intensely for a minute and that strangegrin faltered a bit.

"You can do the math, can't you?"

His heart dropped.

Of course he could. Not a day went by without those memories haunting him. His mind went crazy over the what-ifs and each and every time he thought about what would have happened if he hadn't realized he'd dropped his wallet, a scorching dagger shot up and stabbed through his being so painfully he had to grimace at the invisible ache.

Even as he sat there, looking at the very alive and breathing person he'd protected then, he couldn't keep his hands from shaking cold.

His throat felt like sandpaper whenever he swallowed. "Yeah."

"It was a car accident. Some bastard crashed against them and..." That statement would've been too difficult to finish, so he only glanced down at his hands and shook his head.

It was still a fresh wound. He could relate to that; almost too well, actually. Exactly the reason why the words flowed out of his mouth with the smoothness only the truth can accomplish. "I know. It's a lot harder to understand everything when there's someone else involved. My dad was on the wrong place at the wrong time, too."

Those gray eyes examined his resigned expression intently, wordlessly demanding him to continue.

"He was buying some stuff my Mom needed for dinner and then this guy came in and pointed his gun at the girl behind the counter. And my old man, like the fair and heroic fool that he was, he got in his way and the man shot him instead." His lips stretched into a tight smile and he shrugged. "Simple as that."

Chazz stared at him for a while before shaking his head, visibly in disbelief. "And you don't want to get revenge for that?"

The blunt question surprised him so greatly he had to take some time to consider it. No one had ever asked him that. They usually asked if he still remembered his face or if he missed him, but never something like that.

Because no one had ever been half as honest in their whole life as Chazz was on a regular basis.

Another thing he appreciated about him. That open honesty that most would find vicious and unbearable. "Well, I _was_ angry at first, yeah, but I guess I'm not that resentful. Killing the guy with my own hands wouldn't bring my Dad back, so..."

* * *

It was times like this that forced him to become aware of just how different he and Jaden were. He couldn't be that forgiving — not without losing it completely. Years could go by and he knew he'd still want to find the son of a bitch that took his parents away from him and rip him apart, limb by limb.

He wanted to see the look of pure agony on his face as he choked on blood and sold his last breath. Hell, he would even record it so he could watch it over and over until he felt remotely close to satisfied.

And this moron...he was so ridiculously good, too nice for his own sake, in his opinion.

He, on the other hand...he would track the bastard down even if that was the last thing he ever did. Forgiveness was just not on his nature, he guessed.

No matter how many times he yelled '_attack him_' while pointing a finger at Jaden, those two traitors never jumped him. The laughter around him squashed his pride even further into oblivion.

Unbelievable. Now even his pets liked the slacker better? Sometimes it seemed the world loved to conspire against him. "You're so funny, Chazz." He thanked Bea for the great dinner for the hundredth time and finally headed home, waving back at them all the way. How he didn't fall flat on his face was beyond him.

"I like him. He's such a nice kid." Annoyed as he was, he couldn't help but to agree.

These random visits were strangely something he could get used to. Easy. It would give him a reason to look forward to weekends. He was so out of it that when her hip bumped into his lightly, he almost went ahead and crashed down to the floor like a domino.

"Just don't scare him off, okay?"

He gaped at her, eyes as big as they could possibly get without popping out of their sockets. Her words were innocent and so was her tone, but the faint smirk shinning on her eyes was knowing and gentle.

She knew something.

Still, that wasn't the weirdest part of it all. What threw him off about the whole situation was the fact that he had to seal his lips to keep himself from blurting out the instinctive answer his brain offered.

'_I'll try not to...'_

_

* * *

_

Crowler had clearly told him another of his usual late arrival was going to be the third strike that would put him out of the game for sure, but did he listen? Of course not! "Aw, man...I'm as good as _dead_."

If only he hadn't used the busted-alarm clock excuse so many times before, maybe he could've used it now that it was the freaking truth. It seemed like he had a fondness for sabotaging himself sometimes.

He peeked down at his watch and groaned. 20 minutes wasn't that long of a delay, was it? Surely Crowler could understand that and forgive him. Perhaps the most spiteful teacher in the whole school had woken up in a good mood for a change.

Right now, he was down to his last resort: sheer, blind optimism, and it sucked.

"Excuse me!" His heels shrieked as they polished the floor and his sprint came to a sudden stop. The voice that'd called out for him was unfamiliar and it held a note of humble politeness that only a foreigner could pull off without sounding condescending.

His second-guessing turned out to be correct. A pair of bright, naturally large turquoises widened even further when he spun around to face him and an odd look of warmth filled them the moment their gazes found each other.

It was a guy about his age. He had short and messy aquamarine hair that matched his eyes nicely. His attire was a nice mixture of styles that he'd never seen before; from the loose but fitting pants to the engraved vest and white shirt with such elegant, long sleeves. It certainly made him stick out from the crowd, in case his interesting expression and pretty features didn't do the trick.

If he'd already waited 20 minutes, Professor Crowler could very much wait 30, right? He smiled. "Yeah?"

"Hi." His friendly gesture was returned in a sec. "My name's Jesse." The supernatural tug he felt tying him closer to this mysterious stranger was strong and unbelievably irresistible, and he quickly realized it had the same effect on the other seeing as he met him halfway.

The way they were drawn to each other like magnets was mildly worrisome, like nothing he'd ever felt. It was kinda beyond words. Whatever it was, he wasn't too sure if he wanted to snap out of it just yet.

But that apparently hadn't been up to him from the beginning because it all died down when a tall, also peculiar-looking young man unexpectedly appeared behind Jesse. This one was completely different, though; even more atypical, if that was possible.

He wore a brown, sorta cowboy-ish outfit, a funny hat that reminded him heavily of Indiana Jones and dark boots. A single emerald eye stared at him steadily, the other hidden beneath a leather patch that added a dramatic, cool touch to his appearance and accentuated his already evident bravado.

Who were these guys?

The first one glanced back at his friend and a faintly relieved grin lit up his face once he turned to him again. "This is my friend Jim." The seemingly older teen removed his hat courteously and nodded at him.

"Hello there, mate."

Unknown faces, weird clothes, Australian accent.

The final pieces clicked together. "Oh! You're the exchange students Sheppard's been talking about the entire week, aren't you?" Times like this made him regret not paying enough attention in class.

The two outsiders beamed and replied lively. "That'd be us!" Man, their enthusiasm was more than enough to cheer him up! It was always good to hear such passion on someone else's tone for a change.

"Nice to meet you! I'm Jaden Yuki." The brunet held out a hand that was gladly taken and both shook it, sharing his delight.

Jim was the one who spoke up this time. "We're looking for the principal's office, Jaden." He shrugged, flashing him an amiable, hopeful smile. "Think you can point us in the right direction?"

Jesse quickly barged in, gazing at him apprehensively. "-unless...you're in a hurry, 'cause in that case we totally understand, man. I mean, you _were_ running when I saw you, so..."

He considered that for only a second before shaking his head. "Nah, it's okay. I'll take you there myself."

* * *

The slacker being late wasn't exactly an otherworldly occurrence, but usually always arrived just 15 or 20 minutes after the bell rang. Almost 40 minutes now and no signs of the moron anywhere.

Worry seeped in. Now that he remembered, he hadn't talked with Jaden ever since his little visit. What if something had happened to him on the way home? He had no way of knowing he made it safely, and he didn't call to make sure he'd gotten there without any trouble, either.

What kind of friend was he?

Just when he was about to crack his head open with the help of his desk, the dork _finally_ decided to walk through that freaking door, smiling stupidly like always. The sigh of relief didn't have any chance to leave his lips because he realized he had some company with him this time.

As expected, Crowler exploded at the mere sight of him. "Jaden Yuki! Tell me, what's your brilliant excuse now, you little-!" His usual rant was instantly cut off short since Sheppard chose that same moment to come inside the classroom, right behind Jaden and the newcomers.

"**Dr. Crowler**_._" The tone was enough to make him straighten up rigidly, military-camp-style. "Mr. Yuki here was helping me welcome our guests, who will be staying with us for the next two weeks. I believe I told you and the students about them."

'_Oh, yeah...I forgot.'_ Then again, it wasn't like he had any time left to think about such trivial matters. '-_but what does the slacker have to do with any of that?_'

One look at the three teenagers standing next to Sheppard was all he needed to answer his own question.

If he didn't know any better, he'd say Jaden and that blue haired kid were the best of friends. They had a great, almost palpable chemistry. Both of them talked and talked, completely oblivious to anyone else outside their conversation and he could've sworn he'd never seen the dork laugh that much before.

For some reason, his stomach grumbled and acid crept into his mouth, the grim taste setting his throat on fire and his ears glowed red.

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The brunet seemed almost too enthusiastic about introducing them to each other. Only God knew why, in his opinion. 'Cause yeah, they did look different than anybody else and they weren't exactly arrogant or impolite in the slightest (that much he could admit), but other than that, he couldn't find something so out of the ordinary that would make the slacker go ahead and act so...overfriendly.

It made him sick. Even if he didn't want to come clear about his reasons for that. "Jesse, Jim, these are my friends." He took for each name to clearly indicate who he meant. "Syrus, Bastion..."

Those outsiders hadn't done anything to him since it was most likely the first time he'd ever seen them in his life; still, the urge to simply say something nasty and biting was too much to resist.

After all, he **was** _the_ Chazz. Mocking comments were like the oxygen his brain needed in order to keep functioning. So, it was nothing personal, really. The youngest Princeton walked closer and crooned cheerfully.

"A costume party! Oh, I love those." He snapped his head towards the cowboy wannabe whose name he guessed to be Jim, staring at him widely — childishly. "Let me guess: Brokeback Mountain?"

Even if the guy had been taller than him and not the same height as he was, it would've been impossible for him to go on quietly and keep his wild thoughts to himself any longer.

Not without exploding into tiny pieces of ego and hot air. Besides, with the style he had going on there, this dork was practically asking to be molested.

"Uh...actually, I'm not wearing a costume."

When Jaden stepped up to him and threw an arm around his neck in such a casual way, he couldn't help the way his smirk dropped devastatingly.

'_Damned slacker..._' "...and this is Chazz. He's funny like that so don't take his comments too personally."

Jesse and Jim replaced their baffled expressions for sympathetic ones while Bastion and Syrus laughed. He crossed his arms and huffed.

Much to his dismay, this Jesse kid was like a Jaden from a different country or something like that.

He was just as happy-go-lucky and friendly as his brunet friend, but he had a much sharper look on his eyes and a sense of maturity that their good old moron would probably lack his entire life. And unlike him, this kid seemed to be familiar with the term sarcasm.

To be honest, he wasn't sure if he liked that or not. At first, the kindness from the slacker kinda freaked him out a little, mainly since no one had ever been so nice to him without wanting something else in return or trying to use him for their own gain.

Ever since then, he tried to give people a chance, and he tried to search for the good in them without judging them by the first impression, just like Jaden had done with him.

This guy, on the other hand...he made it hard for him to not go back to his old habit. His attitude towards everyone except Jaden and his friend Jim was aloof and rather mellow, and it irritated him. People like that had always made him uneasy.

Simply because he didn't know what to expect from them.

They went from one mood to the other in seconds, and changed the approach they used depending on the person they were dealing with. There wasn't a clear pattern for their behavior.

Everybody was one way or the other. Easygoing or serious, good-natured or disdainful, well-mannered or rude...

He was neither. And it drove him insane.

The slacker seemed to like him a lot, regardless of that, so he had to suppress his desire to make life a living hell for this these dorks for as long as they were there. He would give him the benefit of doubt, at least for the time being. Couldn't hate him just for kicks, right?

The new kid suddenly reached out and poked his moron on the nose, getting yet another chuckle from the brunet. The giggles from the two pretty ladies sitting on the benches reached him even through the distance.

Well...maybe he could hate him only _a_ _little bit_.

* * *

"I can't believe it..." Bastion's sullenly incredulous tone shattered his comforting daydream about throwing a bucket of barbecue sauce at this annoying charlatanand then toss him into a room alone with his two ravenous dogs. He looked up to offer him a blasé glance and took a little time to examine the unusual frown on his face. "This guy's been here for two days and Jaden's all over him."

The wimpy midget came around behind him and sat down next to the British teen, also scowling. "Yeah, it's not like him at all."

The spiky haired teen growled lowly and closed his eyes. Their comments were like dry leaves to the flame burning inside his chest, so he tried to focus on other stuff and ignored the sting — turned his back on it, just like he'd turned his back on the cheery and chatty pair of good friends sitting by a tree, a several feet away from their bench.

In the distance, he spotted Jim reading a book while laying on his back over the grass.

"Hey Chazz, are you gonna-" The shortie flinched when he, out of the freaking blue, reached for the chocolate muffin that lay on his place and tore the entire fluffy top off in a single mouthful. He chomped moodily and the dork sank into his seat with a mild sulk. "...eat that."

"What country is he from, anyway?" Both he and Syrus stared at Misawa, surprised to say the least.

Wow...couldn't let it go, could he? Bastion sure was the possessive kind. Perhaps that was the reason why they had gotten along so well. "He's European. That's all I know."

Chazz smirked. "Yeah, he's probably from Sissyland. No, wait! I bet he's from Jerkmany!" He snickered harder at the poorly hidden smile he got from Syrus. "Or Assholland."

"Very funny..." The grin on the also very European guy's face murdered the sarcasm on his voice, so when he threw a chunk from his muffin at him and the shrimp shoved him on the arm, he finally puffed and chuckled. The sound of the three of them laughing was loud enough to gain them a few stares that none of them paid any heed to.

Right. Perhaps if he laughed, he might be able to overlook the sourness, if only a little.

* * *

The whole week went by like that.

Jaden and Jesse spent every waking moment together, talking and joking and laughing like they'd known each other forever. To him, it felt as if the closer they got, the farther he strayed away from his original, old friends.

His great childhood friend had ditched them. Out of the three, Chazz was definitely the most upset about it. It was clear to him, probably cleared than it was for Bastion.

The fear and sadness hiding behind the mockery and indifferent attitude.

The idea of Jaden distancing himself from him never even occurred to him. Their bond was too strong and meaningful for him to discard it.

And then Chazz came along and he realized there was no such thing as everlasting friendship. He suddenly appeared into their lives and though they remained best friends, everything changed. The brunet moved onto the next phase and he was put aside.

The love he had for his silly Jay helped him put up with it, at least for a while. He'd been too hurt and blind to notice the stares and sighs, much less make anything out of them. Once he came clean to him, it all made sense.

The far-away looks, the persistence, the patience. _Awe, need and love._

If it made him happy, then he had no objections. He would help him in any way he could and love him no matter what because that was the meaning of friendship to him. One of the things he'd learned by Jaden's side.

But now he was throwing all of his advances away, so easy and careless and it confused him a lot. Couldn't he see the damage he was doing to his own progress? The strain he was putting on his friends and the one he'd claimed to love so desperately?

Didn't he care?

"There you are." Speaking of the devil. He gazed at him and Chazz gleefully, the outsiders tagging closely behind him. "Ready to go?"

They nodded and he smiled even wider. And then, the beam was swiped away, replaced by a surprised, pensive expression that he'd seen so many times before.

It was the look that preceded one of his 'bright', crazy ideas. Syrus froze, knowing perfectly what was going to happen next. Jaden turned to face the foreign teenagers. "Hey, I know! Why don't you come along for dinner? Chazz does everyday and I'm sure Sy would come too. Right guys?"

He could feel the way the taller teen tensed besides him.

Although the guy was a jerk to him most of the time, the shocked devastation on his features was too heartbreaking to see and it stirred a special sympathy inside him. Prick or not, he was still a great friend and he loved him as well.

Before he even knew it, his mouth had opened on its own and words dripped out of it effortlessly. "Sorry, Jay, we can't. Chazz already promised he'd tutor me after class, but maybe we could all hang out later and go for a pizza or something. How about that?"

Not a very effective method, he knew, and it would only buy him some time. Still, he'd do anything as long as it meant he wouldn't have to see the always proud and sarcastic Princeton he had come to even admire look so defeated and sad ever again.

And that would be inevitable if he had to watch someone else take the place that had once belonged to him.

As expected, he didn't even hesitate. "Okay! See you later, then."

Jaden wasn't aware about the mistake he was making here, so he had to make sure it didn't get any bigger than it was or else his friend wouldn't be able to find a way out of it when he came back to himself.

Because Jesse would return to his country in less than a week, but the consequences for Jaden's complete abandon would remain and he'd have to deal with them.

And he would help him out even then. Friends loved each other no matter what, right? There was nothing he could do to change that. He would forgive him.

But Chazz wouldn't. Of that he was certain.

Once they were finally out of sight, he glanced up at the dark haired teen and faked relief. "Phew, that was close. I knew you wouldn't want to be around those guys, so..."

Thankfully, he didn't have to wait much for an answer, baffled as it might have been. "Yeah...thanks, Syrus."

* * *

Those were turning out to be the longest two weeks of his entire existence, he mused while frowning down at the disregarded book on his lap.

Everyday, he was forced to make up some excuse to avoid having dinner at Jaden's house. The very same dinners that had meant the world to him mere days ago.

It was amazing how fast everything had changed and how his daily life had gone from great to terrible in what appeared to be seconds. The higher you are, the greater the fall, as they say, and he felt like he'd just been knocked off the freaking Everest.

Just what he got for allowing himself to depend on someone like the slacker.

He grunted. "I'm such an idiot..." Scrunching his discarded coat up into a spongy ball, he set it on the end of the bench and laid his head on it.

The worst part about his situation was probably the understanding that Jesse wasn't the core of the problem. At all. It was the fact that he'd become so important to Jaden that bothered him. The guy had stolen his attention to the point of making him forget about his friends.

About him. And the slacker's unawareness to their pain was worse than being beaten brutally into a bloody pulp a thousand times. It made him feel like he didn't care in the least.

Jesse would be gone in a couple of days, but that didn't mean no one else could come around and take his place.

Chazz accidentally dropped the book he'd been holding up to read and it fell open over his face. The sun had been annoying, anyway, so he let his arms fall off the edges and settled for sulking.

Sometimes it was impossible for him not to think life had taken an interest in torturing him. It waved the finest it had to offer under his nose and made him hope in vain just to destroy it right in front of his eyes.

For everything that it granted him, it also took something away.

The sound of voices coming closer and an annoying rhythm of heels clicking against the concrete pathway that stretched from the playing fields to the cafeteria surprised him a little. It couldn't be someone good since he'd missed that period just so he wouldn't have to listen to Jaden's stupid giggles over things that weren't even funny.

(At least he had that in his favor. He'd never really had to try to get a cackle out of the slacker. All he had to do was be his cynical self and the other would laugh his way into tears)

He'd been about to write it off nothing more than a pair of rebellious chicks who thought it would be cool not to attend to class (yeah, his excuse was so much better) when they pierced into his earshot and a deep voice that couldn't have come from a girl reached him.

The Australian accent slapped him right across the face and he froze. "You're being pessimistic, mate."

"Even if he did like me back, it's just impossible. How would we make it work? Long distance relationship or whatever? Let's face it; those things never end up well."

Chazz tried not to move a single muscle as they passed by to his side. Their conversation never faltered and neither did their pace, so he deduced none of those two morons didn't notice him so far or that if they did, they hadn't recognized him. "You don't know that. As far as I know, you've never even been on a normal relationship."

He could practically hear the smirk on Jim's voice. Jesse laughed and their voices and steps started to fade slowly. "I guess you're right..."

There was a pain on his chest too sharp to ignore it, as well as a bitter sensation his mouth, like munching on coffee beans, and it burned away inside his mouth along with the words he had actually wanted to say.

Because he really, really didn't want any of this. He didn't want Jesse to be with him, he didn't want him to have Jaden in a way he could never, and why not? Maybe he didn't want the slacker to be happy with anybody but him.

And as much of a selfish asshole that made him, he couldn't bring himself to be ashamed of that fact. He just couldn't because no matter how many lies he might put on top of it, the truth always remained visible.

Peeking carefully from under the now wrinkled pages, he made sure those two were out of sight before he gathered his stuff and left.

* * *

There was something about Jesse that simply drew him in, so insistent and weird. It puzzled him more than anything ever had and the confusion caused his curiosity to grow and the supernatural link bonding them together shortened even more.

He'd never felt that way about anyone. Ever.

Every time he looked into those eyes, it seemed to him like there was a part of himself inside the other. The fire on his gaze was too familiar and unmistakable to him.

They were so much alike. It made him feel like they were two halves of the same whole. It enchanted him.

And the understanding that his dear friend would leave him in less than a day triggered one of the most awful sinking feelings he'd ever had to endure. He examined the view the park and sunset had to offer and sighed. "I can't believe you're going back tomorrow..."

Those had been the shortest two weeks of his entire existence.

Jesse turned to give him a cheerless, sympathetic smile that only saddened more. His face adopted a pensive expression and he stared at him for a while, apparently contemplating his words. "Yeah, about that...there's something I wanted to tell you."

The brunet quickly straightened from his slouch and gazed at him, interested. "What is it?" But the foreign teen didn't respond. He just glanced down at his hands in a self-conscious fashion that wasn't like him at all, so he grinned in a reassuring way and pressed further. "Come on, you can tell me."

When the blue haired boy suddenly leant closer, his mind didn't make much out of it. Why would it?

It actually took him a few seconds to notice the pressure on his lips and another gap passed by before he finally understood he was being kissed.

Fingers treaded around the side of his neck, just beneath his ear and a thumb brushed over his cheekbone lightly. It was the realization that it was his friend Jesse kissing him on the lips that forced him to snap out of his trance.

He brought a hand up and pushed him gently on the chest; all the weight left him in an instant and the other pulled away to meet his gaze. "...what are you doing...?"

Aqua orbs widened for only a moment and then closed, amused by the looks of it. His friend chuckled. "I like you, Jaden. Isn't it obvious?"

What kind of question was that? Of course it was obvious. And he liked Jesse too, had liked him ever since he first saw him. He wouldn't have spent two weeks with a guy he didn't even like.

However, it seemed their reasons had been completely different all along. Even if he did feel attached to him in ways that he could not be able explain, he knew their bond was not the romantic kind. If anything, it was more like that special connection only found in siblings.

Not that there was anything wrong with Jesse — quite the opposite, actually. He was handsome and intelligent and very, very sweet. Who wouldn't fall for someone like that?

Maybe he was blind or stupid or both, but he couldn't bring himself to think about him like that. Like he thought and felt about a certain sarcastic prick.

Because attraction and love would never be the same thing.

And because in the end, Jesse was simply not Chazz.

* * *

It was only fitting that they'd like each other so much, he guessed.

Sissy boy was good-natured, laid-back, charming, oh-so-very interesting and, well...a sissy. The guy was just like Jaden and he was almost as pretty.

He, on the other hand...

He was disdainful, witty, arrogant, irascible, spineless... The list went on and on.

In other words, Jesse was everything _he_ was not.

Socialization was not his forte, and compliments and small talk were just not on his nature. Which was French for '_I don't five a fuck whether people like me or not'_. And in the hypocrite society like the one he lived in, where everyone twisted and reshaped themselves as to fit in and truth was the nastiest insult, that outlook only ended up in loneliness for him.

So he tested people before letting them in, as self-centered as it sounded. Over and over until his paranoia was satisfied.

But no one had been patient enough to reach that level and they failed, all the time. They left him alone after the first sarcastic comment most of the time, and sometimes he didn't even have to open his mouth.

He grew up amongst liars and hypocrites and fake friends that liked him for all the wrong reasons. That was his world, the only side of people he knew and it had been alright for a while. But then they started letting him down one by one, time after time until he finally understood they were never trustworthy to being with.

No one else would lend him a hand; therefore, he didn't need anyone else in order to survive.

He could only rely on himself.

And then Jaden stumbled into his life and turned everything upside down. His beliefs, his plans, his attitude, it all went straight to hell.

But no matter how many details he altered or how much he tried to keep his temper in check, his mean, dark nature would never change. Spiteful comments would always rise to tickle his tongue, whether he said them or not, and people would always be suspicious and mediocre.

He wasn't a good person — that much he knew for sure. He'd even been okay with it, not so long ago!

Anger broke out like fire inside him and the fist he'd been clenching so hard ever since he locked himself inside his room flew off to ram against the bathroom door. It left a dent and a speck of crimson from the wound his nails had pierced into his palm.

He ignored the numbing sting and growled. "This is all the slacker's fault!"

At the end of the day, even if he would never admit it, he knew he only had himself to blame for that.

* * *

Telling the truth was all he could do in a situation like that. '_My heart belongs to someone else_.' As expected from someone so awesome and caring, Jesse understood his situation and offered his friendship instead, if he still wanted it.

And man, who wouldn't want that?

Chazz, Sy and Bastion stood quietly behind him while he spoke with Jim and Jesse. Much to their surprise, the foreigners weren't satisfied with just a handshake and they both pulled each of his friends into a good hug.

The most taken aback out of the three seemed to be the youngest Princeton. Jaden couldn't suppress a chuckle at the look of infinite shock on that pale face.

With one last bear hug and a meaningful, warm stare, he finally said goodbye to his dear friend.

He didn't take his eyes off the cab until it was out of sight, and even then, he didn't budge from his spot. It was amazing how much he'd come to love a stranger in such a short period of time.

A hand fell on his shoulder and he turned to find Chazz gazing down at him softly, in a way that made him forget all about his sadness. "It's okay, we'll visit them someday."

Those words seemed too unbelievable to be true, even if he was seeing his lips move as he said them. They matched what his ears told him, so he was forced to discard his first assumption and accept it wasn't just a hallucination.

Who was this pleasant guy and what did he do to his handsome jerk? He smiled and nodded, in any case. The horizon was still empty when he looked again, only this time the melancholic sensation seething inside his chest didn't sting as bad. "Yeah..."

Ties as strong as the one he had with Jesse couldn't be broken by something as trivial as distance and time, so he wouldn't worry about it. He knew they would see each other again sooner or later.

Over the sounds of the outside and the voices of people talking in the distance, a beseeching rumble from his stomach could be heard. He threw his friends one of his trademark grins over his shoulder. "How about we go get some of that pizza? I'm starving!"

Dumfounded, they all gaped at the cheerful brunet that currently hopped his way towards the nearest pizzeria a few feet ahead of them. His beloved soul mate had gone away, back to his country to never ever return and yet there he was, merrily humming like nothing had happened.

Bastion was the first one to speak up. "What's wrong with him?"

They could only hope the sorrow hadn't wrecked their friend beyond repair.

His tone was barely more than a whisper, and even if the slacker couldn't possibly hear them, Chazz followed his example. "You think he's one of those people who eat like pigs when they're depressed?" His comment earned him a contemplative stare from the British teen and a worried grimace from Syrus.

"I heard that!"

Well, depressive or not, they had to admit the guy sure had sensitive ears.

(End of Chapter 18)

* * *

Just for the record, I meant no offense to the countries which names were altered. I _love_ them. People there are so amazing and nice, and I have such a great respect for them and their traditions. When I was writing this, that just popped into my head and it seemed **so much** like something Chazz would say — I had to write it down.


	19. Carry You Home

**Summary: (AU fic)** When you suddenly find your life shattered, you learn that love can be found in the most unpredictable places. Takes place through their last year of high school, so if you're looking for a Duel monsters story, this is not for you. ChazzJaden**  
Pairings:** ChazzJaden and one-sided JadenAster, a bit of JesseJaden, but there'll be other pairings as well.

**Warnings:** No warnings for this one.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Yu Gi Oh GX, its characters or any of the songs mentioned. Borrowin' the name and lyrics from James Blunt beautiful song. 

* * *

Chapter 19  
"**Carry You Home"**

**Strong as you are, tender you go. I'm watching you breathing, for the last time.  
A song for your heart, but when it is quiet, ****I'll know what it means and I'll carry you home. I'll carry you home.**

---

By the time autumn had died away completely and chills replaced the leaf-crammed winds as winter arrived, everything had gone back to normal.

Well, everything but him, of course.

Because even if the slacker's attitude towards him was the same as it'd always been, his kindness and undivided attention had the opposite effect now. Instead of cheering him up, it angered him and poisoned his confidence with bitterness.

Every comment, every little gesture and nice detail, it just made everything worse. No matter how hard he tried to relish in it like he had done in the past.

All the things that had once made him feel so special and wanted now served as fuel for the hungry, dark misery he could sense growing stronger within him, day by day. The renewed interest he had in him only gave him the impression of being a replacement for something greater.

A second-rate consolation price.

Jesse's sudden appearance had caused so much many hidden emotions he didn't even know he was able to feel to stir into life inside him, but it had also taught him a lot about himself and the people around him.

It also forced him think twice about the people he'd placed his trust on.

Jaden was not one of them, though. Despite the fact that he'd plainly ignored them all and focused solely on a total stranger, his opinion about him hadn't changed in the least. He still trusted the slacker.

It was the faith in himself that he'd lost.

After all, why would someone like Jaden Yuki have to deal with such an unpleasant, broken little piece of crap like him? There were too many wrecked parts inside him and even if a lifetime was not enough to fix them all, he probably would never change for good, anyway.

He sighed.

Never in his wildest dreams did he even think he would come down to a level of self-opinion so low, and it was a brand new concept for him.

Of course he wouldn't do something like that. He was a Princeton. Contrary to all of those mediocre, petty bastards around him, he had a name to live up to.

He was _The_ Chazz Princeton. A conceited, headstrong and bright jerk who didn't believe in the word impossible and looked down on the whole world.

At least, that was the image he had of himself.

But he'd learned that thinking highly of himself and being actually high were two completely different things.

* * *

There was something wrong with Chazz — that much was evident. When he mentioned that to Syrus, his best friend shot him a fleeting look of surprise that got replaced by a blank stare in an instant.

And then he told him to give the black haired teen some space to cool off, saying that if he did, the other would eventually go back to his usual self.

It took him a while to understand that there _was_ something wrong with him and Sy knew exactly what it was.

It kinda annoyed him a little, being left out in the dark like that by the two people he trusted the most, but he sucked it up and listened to his friend's advice, nevertheless.

His mom hadn't been feeling a hundred percent alright, so the extra shores and the dedication he put into taking care of her as best as he could gave his mind something to pacify the anxiety.

Things had been running rather smoothly until she suddenly asked him about Chazz. The randomness of her question had startled him and he quickly realized he didn't have an explanation for the guy's abrupt absence.

He told her half the truth. '_He's been a little busy lately...'_

It was the truth. He'd been too busy brooding lately to pay any attention to anything he might say and he just decided to back off a bit and let him gather his thoughts before trying to make some progress with him.

He could only say half the truth.

Yeah, well, not anymore. His patience could only last for so long and today, it'd finally reached its limit. Because enough was enough and he was sick of not knowing the reason why. No one said anything and he was tired of the senseless silence.

And he would not spend the entire weekend with those things boiling on his chest.

Perhaps dragging the guy away from the chatting, safe bunch of people he'd smartly chosen to hide in so they could speak in private wasn't very subtle of him.

However, at the moment, he found himself utterly uncaring of that fact.

That had been his problem in the first place — he'd considered Chazz' feelings _too much_. He'd put up with everything the other threw his way and pretended the sarcasm and the apathy didn't bother him at all. He'd walked on eggshells for so long to be concerned with that any more.

The taller teen struggled all the way, and when he was finally satisfied with the remoteness, he realized they'd ended up in the small alley that was in between the cafeteria and the old building where the first classrooms used to be.

It was usually crammed with all kinds of antisocial freaks and kissing couples, but it was so cold and damp outside that no one even thought about going out, much less going there.

When they were far away from the crowd and absolutely alone, the other snapped, completely furious by the manhandling by the looks of it. "-the hell's wrong with you, dork?!"

His tone was imposing and enraged. Shock overpowered the anger easily, though, so he was unfazed by the bravado act. In fact, he mimicked him and took a step closer, bringing them nose to nose.

As expected, that tore a chuck off of that always great and unwavering hostility of his and the frown on his face softened, if only a little.

"Could ask you the same thing. Why are you avoiding me? What's the matter, you suddenly stopped liking me or something?" Even as he heard himself speaking, it was hard for him to accept that it was him using that mocking tone and unfamiliar smirk. A smirk that belonged to someone else.

"What?" Narrow silver rings pierced through him, shocked but intense nevertheless, and Chazz stared at him incredulously for only a moment before averting his gaze with a bitter sneer. "We're not having this conversation, slacker..."

He reached out and spun him back to face him just as he tried to walk away. "What? You're running away again?"

He had learned that if reason failed to convince, pride was always the last resort. It was messy and dangerous, but the strength that had gotten him this far was running out of time and he was getting desperate.

Considering who he was talking to, it certainly worked like a charm. The other met his challenge head on and granted him his whole attention.

"I'm **not** running away! I just _don't_ want to be around you. That's all!" For some reason, instead of hurting him, that only confused him and heaved his curiosity up to a whole new level. The other tilted his head down to glance down directly at him. "And if you know what's good for you, you'll stay away from me too."

A strange feeling flooded into him straight away, scorching hot yet cold, something dark and compelling that he'd never felt before. His jaw tightened and his hands trembled in short little spasms.

Whatever it was, it took over him swiftly and forced him to toss his friend — the one he'd treated as carefully as if he was made of glass ever since he first talked to him — into the nearest wall. He pinned him there, like a butterfly stabbed into a needle to symbolize a lovely trophy, and didn't even let his body bounce off the frozen bricks.

"**Please**, give me some credit, here! I'm not stupid and you're not that good of a liar!"

Anger. That was the name of the burning sensation assaulting his senses and clouding his judgment with crimson, coaxing him to do things he wouldn't normally do, especially not out of something as treacherous as frustration. It had to stop.

He couldn't, _would not_ allow his quick, muddled emotions get in the way of the ones that actually mattered to him.

There was bewilderment and deep fury on those eyes, but more than anything...

Chocolate orbs widened. "You're scared."

A whisper left his lips in a visible screen of warm air, clashing against a white, probably frosty mouth and the dark frown staring down at him dissolved, little by little. Suddenly, he started nodding in understanding and he shifted the arm that put the weight on Chazz' chest to rest only his hand, just below the collarbone.

He wouldn't go anywhere; somehow, he already knew that. "I care about you so much and it frightens you." He lent forward, as close as possible without completely violating his personal space. "It frightens you because I'm still here, even when you push me away."

In a second, he traded the surprised expression for yet another terrifying smirk.

"Well, you might not like this, but..." His hand traveled up and his fingers wrapped around a pale jaw, forcing the ebony haired teen to look at him in a gentle, firm manner. "I'll always be here, no matter what you say or how hard you punch me. So I guess we're pretty screwed, aren't we?"

It wasn't just a really honest confession. That was a promise he would never break. And even if those features didn't change in the least, he knew he had affected him because he could feel Chazz shivering under his palm. There were only two things in the world that would cause that effect on him: frustration or anger. Never fear.

So he was either getting ready to tear his spikes off or about to kick the heck out of him. Good. Not that he'd bulge an inch, anyway. He shattered the eye contact he'd created himself and settled for arranging the gray scarf under his hand back into place.

"Can I ask you something?" He didn't wait for an affirmation since it wasn't needed at all. "Do you..." _**love**_ "...hate me?"

_Is it possible to love someone without being loved back?_ If he knew the answer to at least that, then the knowledge that it was never his fault to being with would help him out of this and he'd be able to heal. He would move on.

The silence that followed encouraged the flickering hope inside him to grow brighter, instead of poisoning him with misery. After all, this _was_ Chazz Princeton he was talking to. Anyone else would consider his feelings before saying anything that might hurt them, but not him. Especially if he felt nothing more than companionship for him.

With him, any kind of hesitation meant something more than just not knowing what to do; it meant he was choosing his words carefully, out of fear for what they might bring for him. "No, I don't hate you. But you don't anything about me, and-"

Jaden growled and raised his hand as if to grab his face, scrunching it tightly into a fist, willing him to just be quiet for a moment.

To stop hurting him with even more lies.

"Just...shut up, alright?" He let his palm fall on the taller one's shoulder, sliding across the fabric to clutch the collar of his coat so desperately, so helplessly. "And don't ever say that again, please." _**cause it hurts...**_ "That's all I've been trying to do ever since I met you."

How can you love someone without knowing them? When Chazz opened his mouth to speak, he steadied him with a tighter hold and pressed his fingers against those defiant lips, warmly sealing them shut.

"I love you."

The smile he wore didn't reach his gaze. It was so empty and cheerless it burned his spirit more and more with every second of its existence.

"Are you gonna run away from that, too?" He looked into those coal eyes and tried to discern all the feelings that shined on their surface, and could only find confusion and sadness. It killed him.

But what pained him even more was the detached expression that shadowed that beautiful face. It angered him to see it, because it only reminded him of the fact that Chazz wouldn't let him in, no matter how hard he tried or how much it drained him and instead of feeling ignored, he grew impotent and weak.

A distracted laugh pushed them apart and he took a step back, studying the scowl the other threw his way. "I thought so..." He stared at him for only a moment longer before turning to leave.

* * *

The winters were getting colder, he noticed while he glanced outside the chilly, fogged window that lit the kitchen in summer. Rainy and windy days were very typical and summer wasn't all that hot at all in that city. Sometimes he found himself wishing for a sunny afternoon that would resemble a nice day in the beach, at least a little bit.

When they were kids, every time the temperature increased to a decent level, he, Sy and Chumley used to just jump into the lake and fool around in the water until sunset.

In fact, they never actually dropped that tradition — they simply didn't have as much time as they had when they were younger.

He got a job, Sy had a hard time taking notes for both and Chums helped his Dad out in the family business and also found time to practice his creative skills.

And then their big pal left for college and it just wasn't the same anymore.

A cup of hot cocoa was placed in front of him in the table and he glanced up to smile at his step father. His mother appeared in the door-frame and he made a move to stand up and help her sit down, but the man was one step ahead of him and got to her first.

She sat down across him with some difficulty and the brunet frowned. "You need to see a doctor, mom."

Tony cast his gaze down to the floor, which he already recognized as a bad sign. However, what startled him the most about the whole thing was definitely the serene expression on his mom's face and the way her stare never wavered, despite the obvious apprehension coming from the man.

A bad sign against a comforting gesture. It didn't make much sense to him and he didn't know which one to believe in.

"I already did, kid."

The couple shared a knowing look that only confused him even more and a gut feeling thrust the air out of him faster than a punch right into the stomach.

* * *

The slacker's voice and all the things he said still ricocheted inside his head, over and over like a broken down recording, triggering the same awful feelings they had on him the very first time he heard them.

But they still could not make it past the thick veil of disbelief that clouded his brain.

_You're running away again?_

He growled. Whether it was because the truth stung like nothing else or because he hated taunts, he wasn't really sure.

_I'm not stupid and you're not that good of a liar!_

Of course he knew that about him. He'd said so himself; Jaden was no fool, regardless of the fact that he loved to act like one. And he _was_ a good liar. A great one, actually. It just wasn't his fault the guy knew him well enough to see through his lies.

_You're scared. _

"..."

How could the moron even say that? After everything he did?! After practically choosing a complete stranger over his friends?

Those stupid actions had made him feel like trash and crushed his confidence until there was nothing left of him but a pathetic, stinking mass of insecurities and fear.

Until he was everything except himself.

And now he mocked him for that? It was a good thing the slacker didn't live anywhere near his neighborhood or else he'd be extremely tempted to drop by his house and strangle him with a guitar string, just to add a romantic touch.

_I care about you so much and it frightens you._

He slouched depressingly into the couch and buried his hands in his spikes. "What do you want from me, Jaden?"

Why was he so kind and caring to him only to ignore him the instant someone else appeared **and** then go back to his former attitude? Was it some kind of twisted game he was playing or something?

It had to be a game. The slacker had to be doing this just for kicks. There was no other explanation.

_I love you. _

Nothing in his life had ever sounded half as honest to him as those words, even if the smile that escorted them had been hollow and pitiful. He wanted to believe in those words so much...

Maybe he was an ace actor. In which case, he'd have to personally castrate the asshole and-

His phone rang. He threw the brown blanket off him and, ignoring the darkness the blood rush brought, got to the phone on the corridor. That stupid brunet appeared on his head one more time before he picked up the receiver, but he ignored it as well.

Voices were the first thing he heard as he pressed it to his ear and their frantic nature made him frown. "Hello?"

The response was almost instantaneous. "Chazz?"

Déjà vu assaulted his mind and he had to grip the wooden table to steady himself. It was Jaden's mother. He closed his eyes and squeezed until his fingers were white. "Yes, it's me. What can I do for you, Leyla?"

There was urgency and tears in her tone, so he skipped any kind of greetings and went straight to the point. His speech was slurred and taut, but she didn't seem to notice. "Chazz, please tell me you know where my son is."

His eyelids flew open. Any anger he might still have left inside him faded away into oblivion the second he processed that, and his heart sank. "No, I haven't seen him since school." She whimpered a little and the silence from her end of the line after that destroyed whatever was left of his patience. "Why, what's wrong?"

"I just..." The woman sighed shakily. "I told him I have cancer."

His head grew light and his legs felt as heavy as concrete blocks. Nausea crept up his throat, making him taste acid and a migraine began drilling into his temple.

It couldn't be. She was a strong, healthy woman; she couldn't possibly be sick. Something like that couldn't be happening to that beautiful family. Another wave of nausea, this time with a sinking feeling clipped to it, washed over him as understanding set in.

If this had been his reaction to her condition, then he couldn't possibly imagine how the slacker had reacted.

"He ran out before I had the chance to explain everything and..." The brunette sniffed, trying hard to compose herself and when she'd been about to speak again, he cut her short firmly.

"I'm on my way."

This time around, he didn't wait on the line for an answer.

--

By the time he got there, Syrus was already waiting in the sidewalk. Of course, being the guy's best friend and all, it was only predictable that she'd called him first. He walked closer and the shrimp practically jumped at the sight of him. "Chazz! I know you're mad at Jay, but please help me look for him!"

Damn right. Back at home, with no one to divert him from his bitter thoughts and irritation, he _had been_ mad. Now he was just concerned and finding the slacker was all that mattered to him. What did the shortie take him for, anyway? A heartless bastard? "Shut it. You check the lake, I'll take the park. Give me a call if you find him."

"I already checked the park and he wasn't there!"

The black haired teen bit his lip and straightened up, considering his options. If Syrus said he wasn't there, then he had no reason to doubt him. His mind was racing with all kinds of thoughts and he had to cast off anything related to his own feelings if he wanted some aid from his rational side.

This was new for him. He'd never dealt with a runaway Jaden before and he couldn't rely on past experiences or trace a likely path for his behavior. Deduction was all he had left.

Thank God that was his forte.

Alright...Leyla had surely called his cell phone, so he either had it turned off or left it behind, which meant he didn't want to be found.

Well, tough, 'cause he would not give up until he got his hands on that moron.

The guy could be really intelligent if he wanted to and being the shrimp's best friend, the brunet probably had a list of places the other would search and had cleverly avoided them.

The park, for instance.

But even when all logic said the slacker wasn't there, his gut told him otherwise. He shook his head and started pushing Syrus in the opposite direction. Towards the lake. "Then I'll check again. Go! And don't call me unless you find him!"

Truesdale finally gave in and broke into a sprint, not too keen on stumbling down to the frozen pavement under such abuse and he followed his example once he was sure he wouldn't stop.

* * *

_It's okay. We'll be alright. _

Those were her words. Funny how she didn't realize those were the exact same words he used to whisper to her whenever she broke down and cried on his chest while they laid in bed after a long day, when things got hard and they both mourned his old man's absence.

Or maybe she did remember.

Her face remained the same as she went through what the doctors had told her. There was no nervousness, no fear or doubt on her eyes.

Only understanding. Acceptance. If there had been fear or doubt, then he would've coped with it a lot better because it would mean she still saved some hope about getting better. But she had already made up her mind.

She was giving up before the battle even began and that was exactly what made him want to bash his head into the nearest brick wall.

Her lies for the sake of reassurance would not fool him. She could say it wasn't too bad a thousand times and it wouldn't change the fact that she was lying just to make him feel a little bit better and hopeful. He wasn't a kid anymore.

The truth, that was all he wanted and it didn't take a genius to figure out what it was. She was dying slowly and there was nothing he could do about it.

The cold was literally biting his skin and if he couldn't see his nose, he would think it'd already fallen off from the numbness.

December wrapped around him with affection, but its embrace was far from heart-warming. _'At least it's not raining anymore...'_

Faintly frustrated, he draped his arms around himself and shifted on his seat. The rock he'd picked to sit on was wasn't very comfortable, and on top of the sharpness, it was also slippery and icy.

He'd chosen the wrong day to forget to grab his coat on his way out (the disadvantages of impulsiveness, he guessed) and with only two layers, he was gradually freezing to death.

How fitting...

He was going to die like a dog in the very same place he'd saved someone else — someone else he'd grown to love and need so desperately and who had turned out to be his inevitable ruin. So, yeah...fitting. Romantic, even.

Well...at least he didn't _burn_ to death. Compared to that, this was as close as perfection as he could get. He kicked a rock and uninterestedly watched it roll into the slim sheet of water.

His head was becoming heavier and heavier by the minute, and keeping his eyes open was all he could do with the little strength he had left. He hadn't been eating well lately and it had been days since the last time he caught up with his good old friend sleep properly.

Now that he remembered, he hadn't eaten anything in the entire day, either. He'd spent his lunch break sitting on the benches after his brief fight with his now ex-friend and back at home...he didn't exactly sit down for dinner.

Stones rained from one of the walls of the natural waterway and he raised his head to see what it was, still pretty much uncaring. It took him a little while to understand the person that slithered down the uneven path drawn by the people who normally hanged out there and landed on all fours like a cat was indeed Chazz.

Jaden raised an eyebrow, amused. How could a spoiled, delicate brat like him be so agile and athletic? The guy's versatility baffled him sometimes.

The older teen panted slightly still crouching and stared at him with an unreadable expression. "You really didn't want to be found, did you?"

He took a small pause to pretend he was analyzing the question before offering him a tired smile. "No. I just didn't want to be found by anyone." When the other was a foot or two away from him, he tilted his head to the side and his grin paled a little. "What are you doing here, Chazz?"

The somewhat hostile query froze the youngest Princeton dead on his tracks and he merely stood there, gazing down at his quaking form. If he didn't know any better, he'd say his favorite jerk looked rather concerned there. "Your mom's really worried about you, slacker."

The brunet huffed out a laugh and threw his head back. "Of course..." He shook his head dejectedly. "Sorry, I thought it was about something else..."

How stupid of him to think he was here for _him_. He never understood why people called him naive all the time, but maybe now he was starting to see why. The last thing he needed right now was having to give an explanation for his behavior, **especially** if he didn't have one. Running away was just convenient and easy. What else could he say?

The again, if it was dismissal he wanted... "Go away. Tell her I'm fine or tell her I'm here or whatever you want. Just leave." Scorching tears boiled on his eyes, warming his face if only a little and he glanced down at the tiny stream at their feet to hide them.

What he could not possibly hide was the tremble in his voice and that was even more frustrating.

Only it seemed Chazz wanted some payback for all of the times he'd ignored that plea in the past and walked even closer, squatting in front of him. He grunted and turned away. Couldn't he just listen to him for once and do as he said? It wasn't a hard thing to do. Hell, it was probably one of his greatest desires.

When slender fingers appeared into his view to curl around the curve of his jaw and a hot palm covered his cheek, he flinched weakly only to melt and lean into the contact as best as he could. His black haired friend was the kind of person whose hands were cold even in summer, so for him to be warmer than he was...

He had to be a living popsicle.

The weight of reality finally set in. Standing out in the rain and allowing himself to freeze like this was stupid and it wouldn't change a thing. She would still leave him and he would still end up all alone.

Salty water filled his eyes to the point of blurring his vision almost completely. The heat left his face and those hands seized his arms securely, instead.

"Come on." No matter how many times the other tried to lift him to his feet, the brunet kept sinking back to his knees time and time again, following gravity like a large rock. Maybe if he was lucky enough, his cataleptic resistance would irritate him enough to make him desist.

There was absolutely nothing he wanted more than to be left alone at the moment, just the minute it'd take for him to accept everything and kick himself a hundred times for being so stupid. Surely he'd felt like that before too, right?

So why didn't he let go? Couldn't he understand that?

But just when he thought the black haired teen would get sick of him and leave, he was remotely surprised when those strong, warm arms enveloped his almost loose frame and a broad torso meet his head before he could fall down the floor.

Somehow, the soothing feeling that embrace offered him only managed to trigger even more tears, a few sobs escaped his throat as easy as stale breaths. He slipped one hand around Chazz' side and gripped his shoulder from behind.

---

A sharp tug pulled on the beating mass of muscles in his chest at the way Jaden rocked in grief against him so bitterly, like a frightened child. He ground his teeth to keep from screaming himself hoarse.

Seeing the always happy and bright slacker so sad and lost was his worst nightmare come true.

A part of him, the selfish bastard inside him wished he hadn't been the one to find him. If Syrus or anyone else had found him before him, then he wouldn't feel like his heart had been ripped out of him with the bluntest of knives. He wouldn't feel the misery that simmered his spirit out of existence at the sight.

Except he knew it had to be him. Who would understand his pain better than him?

So for once, just this once, he was going to set himself aside and focus on helping someone else. "Shh...it's okay, calm down." He put a hand on the back of the brunet's neck and pulled his head closer to him. The face that touched his was ice-cold and even if the raw sensation made him flinch, he didn't break away.

Instead, he steadied him with one arm and took his scarf off, wrapping it tenderly around his friend's neck, who only shook harder at the action; he opened his coat and flapped the sides around the other, letting him inside it.

He needed to get him out of there, and he had to do it fast.

But there was something he had to do first. "Jaden..." He took a deep breath and peeked at the distant face resting on his shoulder, tightening his hold on the shivering brunet so that it was firm yet kind. "Do you still want this?"

Jaden's eyes met his slowly and he was able for the first time to get a real grip on the damage done to his cheerful slacker. He was scared to find no traces of light on his beautiful cinnamon gaze; it seemed there was nothing left of that characteristic fire of his.

For a moment it flickered back to life and the next thing he knew, trembling yet warm lips claimed his own with little hesitation. His wide-open eyelids slipped shut after a while, his mind swimming in the intense, peaceful feeling that chaste kiss flooded into him.

It was under the same dark, howling sky that once helped feed his depression where they shared their first kiss. In all honestly, neither of them could've asked for a better thing.

And then, just like that the contact was broken, the feeling was gone and so was Jaden.

(End of Chapter 19)

* * *

He's not dead, so don't worry. I'm not _that_ heartless...most of the time. Reviews really help, so let me know what you think.


	20. More Than Words

**Summary: (AU fic)** When you suddenly find your life shattered, you learn that love can be found in the most unpredictable places. Takes place through their last year of high school, so if you're looking for a Duel monsters story, this is not for you. ChazzJaden**  
Pairings:** ChazzJaden and one-sided JadenAster, a bit of JesseJaden, but there'll be other pairings as well.**  
Warnings:** I'd really like to believe I don't need this whole warning thing. Not at this point, anyway.

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu Gi Oh GX, its characters or any of the songs mentioned. I sincerely hope I don't have to tell you who owns that song...but I will, for the sake of giving credit. Extreme owns it.

* * *

Chapter 20  
"**More Than Words"**

Suddenly, the weight he was seizing grew heavier and the slacker sagged down in his hold — he took that as his cue to leave.

He gathered the floppy, cold mass he apparently loved more than anything else in the world into his arms and pressed him to his chest while he took off his coat to drape it over his moron's shoulders. The sky was becoming darker with every minute they spent there, which meant he had to hurry if he didn't want to trip over something in the shadows. The merchandise he was carrying was fragile, after all.

And Leyla would surely own him if he let anything happen to her kid. Not that he would, of course.

_'There's no one here. You don't need to hide your feelings, moron...'_

Annoying as it was, he had to admit the stupid voice in his head was right. Still, it was a comforting habit and he wasn't about to drop it any time soon.

Carrying him bridal-style would earn him more stares and questions than he'd like to deal with, so he chose to shift him to lay on his back and supported his legs with his arms, instead. He considered calling Syrus or Jaden's mom to let them know he'd found their fugitive.

Now that he remembered, he told the shrimp to call him if he did, but he never said anything about doing the same. There was nothing actually commanding him to make such call, even if they were, _you know_, the guy's mother and best friend and all...

Alright, he would call him.

In any case, he had to get the slacker somewhere warm and comfortable first.

There was no questioning about that one. It would definitely be his house. He was the only one firm enough to deal with this little loser, in the state of mind he was currently in.

Sweet Lord...how could Jaden stand the cold this long? In less than 5 minutes without his coat, he was already freezing his butt off. The urge to drop him for being such an idiot was too tempting for sec; he huffed. What would've happened if he'd decided to look somewhere else? Seriously, how irresponsible of him...

Fortunately, his dogs didn't jump him right away. In fact, they just tagged along behind him, eying the black bump in his back with interest from a respectful distance. It was a known fact that dogs and some other pets were able to read people's thoughts by the emotions they exuded, and he could only imagine how distressed they must've sensed him to be for them to act so conveniently obedient.

Whatever the reason, those two had just earned a tasty treat.

Once inside, the change in temperature wasn't all that considerable, but it was good enough and to be honest, he'd sleep in a dark hole just to escape the vile combination of wintry wind and rain.

It would've been a lot more simple and accessible to put the slacker on one of the couches in the living room; however, the glass walls made it the coldest room in the entire house, so he ignored the strain and took him upstairs to his room. Faintly tired, he sat down the edge of his bed and untangled the arms from around his neck.

Ever so carefully, he set the practically frozen body down on the dark sheets, switched him to a better position and covered him with them. Regardless of all the movement, the brunet didn't even twitch and it was starting to worry him. He ran to the closet and snatched all the blankets he could find there.

One by one, he laid every cover on the unmoving form on his bed, tucking them neatly around it like an obsessed mother before touching his cheek. The moron was buried under five thick, thermic blankets and he was still as icy as the glass of his balcony window.

Maybe he should just shove him into the microwave and hit _Defrost_ or something like that. _'Or maybe you should stop fooling around and give the guy some body heat...'_ An almost painful fire lit up in his face and his hands grew sweaty. _'Good, that'll help too.'_

"Will you **shut up**?!" He hissed moodily but started undressing, nevertheless, coming down to just his gray boxers. This had to be the most awkward thing he'd ever had to do, and it was taking him a little time to keep his thoughts from going to places he didn't wish to consider, in the least. The cold was pretty nasty even inside, so his teeth instantly began clicking at the lack of clothes. He tossed a small, really warm wool blanket around himself like a cloak and crawled into the unfamiliar cocoon.

The first thing his hands met in the blindness was the slacker's dark red blazer, and he cursed when he realized it was damp all over. No wonder he wasn't warming up yet; with that thing on, he would never.

He flashed tiny, nervous grin and tilted his head a little. "This isn't what it looks like, I swear..." There was no response for his comment, as expected, and after taking one last look at the impassive, pale face below him, he sneaked his fingers under the sides of the rather thin jacket and slipped it off those loose shoulders, holding him up a little to get it off completely. The offending piece of clothing was thrown off the side of the bed and landed a few feet away from it.

Much to his dismay, the only layer the brunet was left with, a black turtle neck, was also somewhat wet. Right...perhaps he hadn't known the full meaning of the word awkward until now.

He sighed. No backing out now, not after coming this far. "If you're wearing something else under that, you're so gonna get it..." One peek beneath the rim of the sweater, however, was more than enough for him to know he wasn't. The small stripe of skin revealed was very nicely chiseled, too smooth to be anything but silk and too appealing for him to resist, so he buckled under the pressure and gave it a tentative brush with his fingertips.

The moisture made the contact sticky in the most pleasant way ever, and he relished in the feeling as he tugged the hem all the way up to the collarbone, taking it off in spite of the bothersome resistance of a limp body. It wasn't that difficult, compared to some other stuff he'd have to do.

Like trying to convince himself he wasn't enjoying 'taking care' of the slacker, for example.

But it seemed the dork could still react to being stripped of his clothes, even when he was out cold, and when he suddenly rolled to lay on his side, Chazz's cat-like jump at the unexpected sign of life almost had his head jammed up the ceiling.

Long after the groggy, slow movements ceased, he merely sat there, watching the apparently-not-so-unconscious form, startled — like a kid who got caught with his hand inside the freaking cookie jar and that guilty sensation was not pleasant at all, considering he had been pretty much groping a defenseless, frozen moron and _loving every second of it_.

Oh, well...back to the matter at hand.

Pervert or not, he was the only one who could help that moron. _His_ moron.

So setting his stupid hormones aside, he slid up to press his chest against that nice-looking back and slipped an arm over the other's torso, gently dragging Jaden closer to him. In the end, despite the awkwardness, his blushing state did come in handy and he noticed contentedly that the slender body he'd pinned to his was finally starting to warm up.

He reached up and printed hand-sized patches of heat over the slacker's neck and shoulders until he was satisfied with his temperature before nestling into those caramel locks, deep in thought.

What would happen to him and Jaden after this? What were they now?

Something told him neither he nor the brunet knew exactly what they both had just signed themselves into. It had been vague and messy, and neither had tried to make it clear. Would they go out on dates and walk around, holding hands? And what about their friends? Would they need to know, too?

But more importantly...

Did it make him gay? Just because he'd fallen for a male idiot didn't mean he was completely gay, right?

Before Jaden, he'd never ever thought about another guy like that; even now, the thought of kissing a man was still repulsive as ever and the allure of women was still a weakness to him. Maybe there could be an exception, like there was for everything else.

After all, the universal standard of beauty was based on women and the slacker was the prettiest chick in school. That much was a fact. So...he was still straight, right?

'_Really?_ _He just told you he loves you and that's all you can think about, dumbo?'_

Chazz frowned and tightened his hold, if only a little. It seemed his selfish nature would never change. A special liquid warmth bled into his being, making him melt in a way he'd never ever felt before and his eyelids fell halfway closed.

Jaden loved him. Not Jesse or anyone else.

Jaden Yuki could be a moron and a lazy scumbag sometimes, but he was definitely the most honest guy he'd ever met and if he said something like that, then he was deadly serious and sure about it. As arrogant and mean as he was, the other had still managed to find something valuable among the ashes.

Something worth loving.

Oh, yeah, the slacker would never cease to amaze him. And he knew he was doomed to have that realization time and time again for as long as they were side by side, which he hoped would be forever.

He wanted to share his days with him and make him laugh and get to know him better than he knew himself. That was his only wish.

Was that what being in love felt like?

_Love._

What a mystic word, he thought.

He had been through so many things, but he had never been in love. Not really.

Dates and girlfriends had always come so easily for him; he never had to look for them as they came to him first. Blonds, red-heads and even a black haired beauty every now and then. Never brunettes. (That was before he moved there, a place where apparently brunets pretty much followed him around...)

Either he showed no interest, or they didn't.

And even if he he'd had feelings for all them, he never, ever actually took the time to appreciate the little simple things about them the way he had every single one of Jaden's quirks studied.

There was no candy-melting feeling fluttering on his belly when they smiled at him, or a special dizziness at the sound of their laughter, or the urge to crack jokes just to hear it.

Soft fingers wrapped around his warmly just before the body he was holding turned in his arms and a misty chocolate gaze found his. For a moment, they only stared at each other, his slightly bewildered expression contrasting significantly against the unfocused yet cheerless frown on the slacker's face.

Whether they were filled with sadness or light, those butterscotch eyes were always so beautiful to him.

Before he had a chance to speak, hot lips covered his own and a hand swept up across his chest to rest over his collarbone. His eyes fluttered closed.

The strokes of that mouth were slow but unhesitant, and the sheer perfection of it all sent his mind into a spin. The engulfing contact disappeared just as he began to respond and he had to kick start his head into motion with a whole lungful of air. That rather innocent kiss had somehow stolen his breath more efficiently than a 30-mile marathon ever would.

The brunet was already smiling at him by the time he opened his eyes, his beam somewhat sad. "This isn't a dream..." He whispered and kissed him again, almost desperately. "...and it wasn't a nightmare, either. Right?"

The resignation on his tone was too heartbreaking and excruciating that he had to bite his lips to keep them from shaking. "No, it wasn't." Chazz wrapped his arms around him and turned to lie on his back, setting him over his chest. He rested his cheek on top of that rather comfy hair and waited.

The first person to break a comfortable silence is always the one with the most things stored away inside their chest, regardless of the situation or that person's normal behavior.

Therefore, by remaining speechless, he was gently forcing his moron to speak up. It was effective and calm and the only kind of answer he would receive would be willing and honest.

Sure enough, the response came within a minute of quietness in the form of a weary, small voice.

"She says it's not too bad; that I shouldn't worry so much about it. But..." He shook his head and sighed jadedly. "I know her. Tough as she may be, she gets really tense and insecure every time something bad happens. When Dad died, she...she was a mess."

The older teen ran his fingers through soft, auburn locks and the trembling of the body covering his subdued considerably.

"He was gone and we could only move on. _Every day_, I had to remind her that."

So...while he sulked and tried to ignore his parents, Jaden had been holding up his family by being the mature, self-less young man that his mother needed him to be to carry on. Even if he'd considered that to be impossible, the admiration and love he felt for the slacker grew stronger at that.

"And now she's acting like nothing's wrong, like it's no big deal and I just know it's because she already accepted it — the end. She gave up."

He'd been missing that particular piece of information and now that he had it, everything about the slacker's reaction made perfect sense to him. The words were becoming slurred and sleepy with every second he spent talking.

"I don't know what to do...she's giving up...and there's nothing I can do...I don't wanna be alone." The arms around his waist tightened, if only a little, and when the voice humming lowly above his chest broke at the end, he could've sworn the strained heart beneath it shattered like sugar glass, too.

"You won't be, I promise." He whispered hoarsely and dropped a kiss on the warm head against his jaw, his hand drawing caresses over that silky back. "It's okay, you can go back to sleep. I'm here, now."

Jaden complied easily and shifted to press the bridge of his nose against Chazz' pulse, falling asleep in less than a minute.

--

His ears were extremely sensitive and if he added that to the fact that he was a very light sleeper, then it wasn't a surprise he stirred up at the loud growl that he could hear as much as he could feel against his ribs.

It was insistent and painful-sounding, so he discarded the idea of ignoring it and cracked an eye open. The mop of brown hair startled him at first, and then he remembered precisely who it was and what had happened to bring them to a situation like that.

A split second later, he realized exactly what that rumble was.

'Jaden...you up?' He whispered hesitantly into the dark, not at all surprised when the background sounds lacked any kind of feedback. The other's forehead was resting idly where his shoulder met his neck, meaning he couldn't affront his gaze without shifting. Still, he didn't need to look at his face to know he was awake. The lone feathery feeling of his long lashes brushing against his skin as he opened and closed his eyes was all he needed.

After an extended yet peaceful pause, he finally answered him, in a low, raspy tone. "Apparently..."

"Good, 'cause we're going downstairs. You're hungry and I don't wanna wake up to find I'm one hand short. Come on."

Some coaxing and forced-dressing later and they were both in the kitchen; he checked his cell phone while the slacker chomped rather sullenly on the double sandwich he'd made for him. They couldn't have slept more than 20 minutes, so he was still within the frame of time reasonable enough to make that call.

He sent the shrimp a message.

_I found him. He's alright, but he's kinda shaken up so he's spending the night here._

The answer came far sooner than he'd expected, and it was way more understanding than he would've liked.

_I'll go tell his mom, then. See you tomorrow. _Chazz frowned. He'd been looking forward to some resistance or worry, traits so annoyingly common in Syrus, and he got that instead...

Did the dork know something he didn't?

Hm, he'd have to torture it out of him later, he guessed. At least that was taken care of.

When he walked back to the counter, Jaden had already finished his meal and was preparing to stand up, probably to crawl into bed again like the lazy kid that he was, but he dropped his hand on his head and dunked him back into his seat firmly. "No-uh, not yet."

That sandwich was not even half a regular snack for him and he'd be _damned_ if he let him go away with only that. "But I'm cold!" The other whined and hugged himself, his teeth clicking as he stared up at him with a pitiful expression that he most likely thought was convincing.

Well...it kinda was. Still, he had to make sure he ate properly, especially now that the brunet looked even thinner than before, which was slightly disturbing.

That only left one option. He fetched a bowl of fruit salad from the fridge and pretty much emptied an entire bottle of chocolate syrup over it. Those wide eyes followed every one of his moves in childish awe and he stabbed a pair of forks into the 'healthy' dessert.

He pushed it towards him and smirked. "Take it, princess." Jaden didn't need to be told twice and grabbed the bowl to his chest, too hungry to react to his comment.

And then, unpredictable as always, Chazz sneaked a hand under his knees and lifted him off the chair easily, talking him completely by surprise.

It was a sudden and very unlikely action, but the slacker didn't yelp or demand to be put down; he just carefully stayed put and said nothing. Most people would never allow someone else to carry them like that, so the lack of resistance from him could only mean the guy trusted him enough to know he wouldn't let him fall.

Discovering that small piece of information felt pretty nice.

He set him down on the black couch (their favorite, it seemed) and lay a large blanket over his legs; the same blanket he'd been buried under before Leyla called.

All the attention the brunet was receiving from him was distracting him from his sadness, judging by the small yet warm smile that touched his lips when their gazes met. His hand followed the rim of the back of the couch like a track and linked around those lithe shoulders.

The other took the hint and scooted closer, turning to lay his back on his chest with the bowl placed over his belly so that they could both reach it easily.

Once the T.V was on (showing another concert; one of Scorpion's massive gigs, actually) they both started wolfing down the pile of fruit chunks. It was all peace and quiet until he remembered something he'd been meaning to ask him ever since he'd found him.

"Hey...I know this sounds weird but, uh...wha-what are we now? Don't get me wrong, I'm not backing out or anything. I'm just...curious."

Jaden looked up at the youngest Princeton with a cube of watermelon peeking from his lips and raised an eyebrow, grinning. It was always amusing to see Chazz act so self-conscious and cute for a change, mainly because it could only mean he was being really serious. So he tried to take his question seriously too and frowned a little. "You're with me and I love you. What else do you need to know?"

If he'd looked shy before, then he was definitely sizzling red at his honest declaration. "T-that's not what I meant, moron! Are we going out on dates, will I have to take you to the prom and stuff like that?" The chest beneath him heaved as the older teen shrugged. "Not that I'd mind, of course. _Especially_ if you wear a dress and we get to do the whole backseat thing..."

Jaden laughed lightly. "Not if you don't want to." He tilted his head back and smiled at his dark haired jerk. "Don't worry, I don't mind going undercover for you. I know it'd be too embarrassing for you and-"

It was Chazz' turn to raise an eyebrow at him. "Embarrassing? Are you kidding me? It's been a while since I had something this good to show off!" The brunet squirmed a bit in his arms when he bowed to brush his lips against his ear while he talked. "And I'm not hiding you."

He pushed him back a little to stop the teasing and tried to concentrate. "Yeah, but you're very private, and I like that about you. Bold as you are, I doubt you'd ever kiss me in class or in public." The lack of response from the other proved the truth in his supposition. He could almost hear the engines turning inside that spiky head as he searched for a decent answer.

It felt good, being able to leave the sarcastic and witty Chazz speechless for once.

Bragging was not on his nature, anyway. "No, let's just take it easy and if the guys figure it out, we won't deny anything."

It was times like these that made him appreciate the guy's concealed but present intellect. "Hm. Sounds like a plan." Out of the corner of his eye, he watched as the slacker took a large strawberry half into his fork and guided it into his mouth. It definitely caught his interest.

He loved strawberries, so he blew into Jaden's apparently sensitive ear and stole the fruit from his teeth when he wriggled his head towards him out of reflex. "Hey!"

The smirk on his face was without a doubt a close second in deliciousness to his crimson, juicy prize. Through a sweet mouthful, he replied. "Thanks. That was great."

--

The door opened pretty much after the first faint knock and that familiar, beautiful brunette he hadn't seen in quite a while reached out to pull the meaning of her life into her arms in an embrace that was tenderly received. In fact, she looked surprise to be pulled into an even warmer hug.

He was content to watch the scene from a small distance.

----

When Jaden's family invited him over to share Christmas dinner with them, he'd been more than happy to accept. He didn't know how it was remotely possible, but they'd managed to take the whole epic meaning of that night away without even knowing it.

Maybe it was because unlike most people, they didn't change their attitude towards each other just for the holidays. They were always cheery and kind and peaceful.

We're never given more than we can handle and if they went through so much and still remained as joyful as ever then there was not a doubt in his mind they would make it through something like this too.

He made sure to keep the size of his presents small to save himself a lot of effort in carrying them. Jewelry for the ladies, a nice elegant pen and a book for Tony and the most important present was carefully set aside.

His good old moron had been more excited than usual, so he knew it was safe to assume they had a fun afternoon to look forward to. The uncles and aunts soon arrived and he was able to meet the rest of the slacker's family.

One of Jaden's uncles pulled him into a casual arm-hug and cracked a particularly bold joke that made him shake his head and smirk. The confused frown on the brunet's face told him he hadn't gotten it at all. He rolled his eyes. Why wasn't he surprised?

The man was seemingly pleased to have found someone who actually understood his sense of humor and they both headed into a light, amusing conversation about stuff in general. He was surely the typical drunk, entertaining uncle with a funny laugh found in every family.

He liked him instantly, in any case.

It had all been just fine until he saw from over the man's shoulder a guy point and snicker mockingly at a very peeved Jaden. The whole picture seemed wrong to him and his pride screamed in protest, demanding some intervention.

Didn't that dork know he was the only one who could make fun of his slacker?

In the very first chance he got, he subtly fled the small-talk he'd engaged himself into and came to stand next to his friend. When he joined in on the conversation, the young jerk, who seemed to be on his late twenties if he was to guess, had been talking on and on about a poker tournament that he'd easily won for the lack of a decent challenger like a true arrogant, lying loser.

The world was full of them and the sound of his proud voice alone made his head spin.

So he faked admiration and humbly suggested a friendly game.

A rather pompous woman who he'd heard Rachel call aunt Vicks or something like that literally jumped at his proposal, saying that kind of activities were not 'adequate' for Christmas Eve, and exaggerated as she was, he had to admit she was right. But then Leyla kindly backed him up and argued that it would be alright if they used something like cookies or sweets instead of money to gamble.

At the end of the game, he watched with a pleased smirk as Jaden and Rachel split the prize in half and greedily stored their share away for dessert.

Slade might've mopped the floor with his sorry face in less than 5 minutes, but that loser was still nowhere near a respectable match for him. Since he couldn't openly mock the player-wannabe, he let his new, very much drunk pal do that for him.

The slacker sat down beside him and popped a butter candy gently into his mouth when he turned to face him, his lips curling into a smile around the cookie between his teeth.

He folded his tongue around the offered sweet and gazed at him in awe. Ah, screw the games. That thankful grin definitely felt ten times better than a thousand victories.

* * *

Tired, he finally set the last clean and dry dish on the shelf and plummeted onto the first chair he found with a sigh.

His sisters had helped a lot by arranging things back into their normal place and doing the dishes; drying and storing them had been his only job and now the kitchen was clean at last.

Chazz had left about an hour ago and the night was dying slowly, like a fireplace burning on the still remaining embers. Everybody chatted and laughed in the living room and even if the mood sounded comfortable and pleasant, he didn't feel like joining in.

A small brown box with a golden bow wrapped around it appeared into his sight when he opened his eyes, and he stared at it cross-eyedly before glancing down at his little sister, who looked even more exhausted than him. "Oh." He frowned and took the box. She'd gotten him a present? How weird. "Thanks. What is it, Rach?"

She yawned and shook her head. "I don't know."

Even if there was no real reason for it, his heart stopped. His fingers could not open the tag attached to it fast enough and when he succeeded, the neat words written in it took some time to register.

**To:** Jaden **From:** _the_ Chazz

Warm, soul-straight laughter blossomed from his chest and for a moment, his arms felt too empty and his lips itched in loneliness.

The gift faded into the inner pocket of his dark blazer and he reached down to pick the child up into arms. A sugar-scented, curly head automatically landed on his shoulder. He tucked her in and pulled out the present while he sat down on the edge of her bed. She was like a warm, mumbling rock when she slept, so he knew she wouldn't mind in the least.

Since it was only closed with a plain lace bow, the lid came off easy. There was a folded piece of paper laying on the very top, and he decided to read it before doing anything else.

Chazz' handwriting had always mesmerized him — it was elegant and clear and so splendid. It reminded him of his mother's.

_Mom gave this to my Dad on Christmas around 22 years ago...give or take a year, I think. Anyway, there's a whole story behind it that I'd love to tell you, but you'll have to bribe me with some coffee first. _

The paper sheet bend in the air as his hand fell limply against his tight, and he distantly felt himself huffing in a dreamy fashion.

There was no sweet-talking, love proclamations or pick up lines and it was still the most romantic letter he'd ever read. How could the guy do it? Perhaps that had been the other's intention all along. He couldn't be completely sure since he'd never seen his romantic side; not fully, of course.

Under the note lay a bed of thin, white paper shreds, hiding the secret present from view so he buried his fingers into it and dug around. He felt something cold and hard touch his skin and he fished it out instantly.

Beautiful. That was the only word his mind could offer at the sight of it.

A silver, flat ring linked with a slim chain. Simple, no engraving.

Even if it had been a dead bug hanging from the chain, it was a gift from Chazz and that would've made all the difference, anyway.

* * *

He was not a depressive maniac and he did not enjoy feeling pain. Why couldn't anyone believe him?

Even if they wanted him to come along to visit the other side of the family, Anthony's he guessed, he knew there was no place for him on that trip.

Not because he didn't feel comfortable around them or anything like that — quite the opposite, actually. Those people were like his family now.

But...he had to stay behind. He couldn't fool around and pretend he didn't have a past forever.

The cemetery was far emptier than he'd expected, considering the day it was and everything. Or maybe he was the only one crazy enough to think it was a good idea to go there.

If anything, that realization made him feel more relaxed.

Wintry rain had licked the two gravestones he would never forget for as long as he lived and turned the dust over them into light mud. He swiped his palm over their surfaces and the clean names shone back at him under the daylight.

The tail of his coat touched the muddy, wet grass as he crouched in front of the tombs, and he noticed he didn't care in the least.

"I've been thinking about you guys a lot lately. Holiday effect, I guess." He laughed a little and tilted his head, almost dreamily. "Now, you might not believe this, but...I've been trying to imagine how last night would've been if you were still here."

Every image that he came up with amused him greatly. Especially if he recalled the year Dad's sleeve randomly caught on fire; he'd stepped into the kitchen to find him and Mom literally running around in circles.

He'd almost split in half in laughter; after helping the man, of course. It was the kind of story that he loved to bring up just to annoy his father, every year. A classic, in his opinion.

How come he never thought about that every time he felt angry at him for always scolding him and praising his brothers? At least, that was they way things were through his eyes.

He never understood that was because his father had learnt to overlook their indifference until it didn't hurt anymore. He had too blinded by anger and resentment to see that he'd been set aside for being special and more precious. Now he knew the disapproval had been nothing more than sadness all along and that Dad had just been trying to keep him from becoming indifferent too.

He stood up and buried his hands into his pockets.

"But then I realize those fantasies would never make up for all the things that I didn't do when you were here, with me."

With one last passive glance at the stones, he turned around and left.

--

By the time he got home, the already gloomy sky had darkened all the way into night and the rain had stopped. He was soaked, anyway, so it didn't really matter.

His coat fell to the floor first; then his scarf and then his shoes until there was a messy trail of wet clothes from the door to the living room.

Something was wrong.

It took him sometime to understand there was someone sitting on the coach, and yet another second to recognize who it was. Even if it had been the Grim Reaper himself, he doubted he would've been scared or surprised.

He walked around the large piece of furniture and came to stand at arm reach from the man.

The calm and cunning Slade Princeton that he remembered had never ever looked so miserable and defeated. Seeing him like that was...wrong.

It brought him no pleasure or piece of mind. On the contrary...he felt as if all of his energy had been sucked out of him with a leech. Like there was a hungry, black void in his brother's empty and sad eyes.

_'C'mon...pull yourself together!_' He pleaded himself, scared out of his mind as he realized he was slowly losing sight of just how he felt and what he stood for. All those reasons and beliefs that had been so clear and bold before were now gone, meaningless.

Was this the same man he'd hated and cursed so passionately? It was impossible. Thinking about hating him now seemed too cruel and unforgiving. His body sank down into the couch and his mind could hardly register the heaviness.

He was torn between his pride and the longing for affection, or anything that might come at least a bit close to it. Being human meant so much, like being weak but not mindless, or being strong but not unbreakable. Things had been alright for a while, at least on the surface, and he knew better than to expect for it to turn to his favor. Simply because life was not perfect and there was no such thing as 'having everything'.

He could only defend what he had and try to get through the days in one piece.

But now his will to just make it out as unscathed as possible had finally reached its expiring date. So he chose to give in.

Blindly seeking his brother's hand out in the dark, he wrapped his trembling fingers around it once he felt it, too heartbroken and tired to fight back the desperation any longer. There was a moment of vain hesitation before the older one responded by giving his hand a reassuring squeeze, yearning for the light yet deep contact just as much.

All of his resentment and deep hatred vanished faster than a punch to the gut could knock the breath out of his lungs.

As tough and determined as they both were, they were still humans and nothing could ever change that, not even the undeniable weight of a name.

(End of Chapter 20)

* * *

Saying your reviews help me in ways that are undescribable is really unnecessary, but I'll still subtly point it out. R&R! Haha.


	21. Hole In My Soul

**Summary: (AU fic)** When you suddenly find your life shattered, you learn that love can be found in the most unpredictable places. Takes place through their last year of high school, so if you're looking for a Duel monsters story, this is not for you. ChazzJaden**  
Pairings:** ChazzJaden and one-sided JadenAster, a bit of JesseJaden, but there'll be other pairings as well.**  
Warnings:** I don't even know what to say about this chapter; you know, rating-wise. It's nothing we haven't gone through already, I guess.

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu Gi Oh GX, its characters or any of the songs mentioned. I'll let you all guess who sings that one...just kidding. Aerosmith does and I love them for that. 

* * *

Chapter 21  
"**Hole In My Soul"**

Little by little, the sting of the sunlight grew in strength and the rainy and cold days evaporated all together. Spring finally nestled into its rightful position.

Winter had left them all starving for some sun and heat, but he knew it would eventually get old and they would all find themselves wishing it was winter already. It was a typical display of the fickleness of human nature. As soon as pools and ice creams got boring, the craving for hot cocoa and warm blankets automatically set in.

The first day the sun appeared he went out and sat on the grass of the garden, taking a well-deserved sunbath and it made him feel very much like the child he never allowed himself to be.

It was a good feeling, though.

He stayed there until he felt kinda feverish and with his batteries refreshed and headed to the slacker's house. It was hard for him to tell why or how, but every time he saw Jaden's mom, she seemed to be even more beautiful than the last time.

The sickness was taking a toll on her body, and the exhaustion showed on her eyes more than anything else. She was still so bright and merry, just like her son; except now her laugh was shorter and her stares were longer and contemplative — like she was trying to memorize everything the way it was, good and peaceful, for less fortunate times.

They both talked for hours while Jaden and Tony were at their respective jobs, and it pleased him greatly to see just how much their conversation cheered her up.

Most of the time, she told him stories about her only son's childhood and about her former husband. He liked to listen to everything she said because he enjoyed seeing his moron in all the expressions and gestures she made and because he could never have enough information about him.

To make his life miserable, of course...

Yeah...that was it. Period.

* * *

It was an easy, idle day; people were still getting used to the sun again, and they started craving other kinds of stuff. Like beaches and popsicles.

So he pulled out a paper and a pencil and started doodling, for the lack of a better thing to do. He wasn't exactly a master when it came to drawing, but he wasn't that bad either.

If his sisters asked him to help them whenever they had an assignment that required artistic skills, then he couldn't be completely useless, right?

For some reason, all of his sketches were about birds with long wings or bizarre versions of superheroes he never ever tried to make up names or superpowers for. It wasn't needed and he was happy with just gazing at the final result.

Simple, pencil sketches were so much better than paintings, in his opinion, so he never bothered to add some color. Maybe it was because, on some unconscious level or something like that, he was scared of ruining what could've been a master piece.

"Wow, you're quite the artist there, aren't you?"

Apprehension seized his chest a bit and his head snapped up. It wasn't Gab, or anyone else he knew for that matter, and he could only imagine how long they must've been waiting there for him to come back from his brooding state. His cheeks glowed red and he grinned apologetically at the guy behind the counter.

He was just about his age, if only two or three years older, rather taller than him but still shorter than Chazz. His eyes were the most piercing blue there could be, his pale suit was impeccable and his hair was an interesting shade of gray that looked too shinny to be anything but natural.

And then he remembered the compliment about his hobby and the burning on his over his nose intensified. "No, no, this is nothing, really." He scratched his nape in an awkward fashion and laughed. "A five year old could do a lot better, heh..."

The young man smiled serenely at him and shook his head, skeptical. "Believe me. I recognize talent when I see it and you definitely have it."

Handling compliments of any kind in a proper manner had always been one of his weaknesses, and he'd been about to open his mouth again to sweep some of the claimed awesomeness off his work simply for the sake of clarity (it wasn't one of his best drawings and he'd done it out of boredom), but the guy spoke again before he could say anything else, though.

"My father was an artist too. He was a cartoon designer; a pretty good one, actually." The gleam in his eyes and the nostalgia in his tone confirmed his suspicions. He hadn't heard wrong. The '_was'_ had been more than intended.

It was weird and amazing to see just how much two strangers could have in common.

Light shock sobered up his expression in a second and he held out a hand. "Sorry, I'm kinda rude sometimes. My name's Aster."

That name...he had to admit it ringed a bell. Now that he thought about it, his face looked sort of familiar, too. He accepted the handshake, either way. And then the snapshot and place he'd seen it clicked, making him gape at the other with wide eyes. "Of course...you're Aster Phoenix, the sports pro! Practically a prodigy..."

Those excited words had sounded too fanatic, but since they were already out of his mouth by the time he realized that, he could only regret them. Large sapphires stared at him warmly and he faintly registered the laughter that reached his ears. "Well, I gotta admit that was a nice introduction..."

Their fingers were still entwined, so he snapped out of that embarrassing fan-boy mode and grinned. "Jaden Yuki. I'm really sorry, man. It's just that...I read this article about you a few days ago, and seeing you here now...I guess I'm a little surprised, that's all."

"No, no, it's alright. I understand." The media sensation finally let go of his hand and slid the glasses clutched in his other hand into the inner pocket of his coat. His smile was dizzying and his eyes were so intense, and he knew it wasn't just because he was famous or anything like that.

Despite all that, he was definitely something.

Aster's visits soon became more and more frequent and their conversations rapidly grew casual and pleasant. His first impression had been right; there was much more to him than what met the eye.

The tone he used to speak sometimes held undeniable traces of arrogance, and there were times when his gaze seemed too alert and friendly that it made him a little nervous. He wasn't a bad guy, though, so he learned to overlook that and focused on the conversation, instead.

It seemed Aster, like him, had lost his Dad in an unexpected tragedy when he was a kid, as well as his mother, who died while giving birth to him. The only person who'd been a constant in his life ever since then was his best friend and manager, Sartorius.

There were countless of interesting stories buried on everyone's past, stories that surpassed the bizarreness of movies and that held so many life lessons.

An attentive, non-judgmental pair of ears was the only requirement.

* * *

Dude, it felt good to be free again. With the snow games and all the training (which was really unnecessary in his opinion), he barely had time to catch a breath. It normally wasn't _that_ hard or stressing, but now that he actually had something to look forward to, these past months had felt like decades to him.

It sucked, yeah, but that was the path he'd chosen and so, complaining now would be an insult to his own intelligence.

As a matter of fact, he loved the games and the sports — he dug the high and the trill adrenaline brought along. Far better than any drug, legal or not.

Anyhow, his agenda was finally open for the time being, and that was definitely the only chance he'd have to walk around without the chain in his neck in a very long time. Jaden seemed to understand his stress all too well and told him to focus only on his love for his career and just have as much fun as he could.

The grin he awarded him with dissolved his tension and filled his lungs with fresh air.

And, man, even if the urge to just pull the guy to him and ravish the hell out of him was too tempting, he knew he really had to behave. Asides from the damage a scandal like that could bring to his reputation, he doubted the other would appreciate his overly dramatic display of affection.

Not now, anyway.

They stared at each other amidst a really comfortable silence and, for a life-long instant, he seriously considered asking him out for dinner or something like that

His past experiences had all been pretty much the same, so it was more like pattern for him to chase. He saw himself smirking down at a very surprised but happy brunet, who could only nod in excited agreement.

Ah, it would be beautiful yet so, so cliché. Still, who was he to complain, right?

He mirrored the charming expression from his daydream and parted his lips, dead-set on going along with the impulse like he never did because, right now, he could _not_ remember for the life of him what exactly was stopping him from getting what he wanted.

At the sound of the door opening, Jaden's head snapped towards it out of sheer habit and reluctantly as hell, he did the same, rolling weary, annoyed eyes towards the entryway.

"Hey, man!"

Black hair, silver eyes, pale skin... _'Oh, yeah. Now I remember...'_

He hated the guy's guts almost as much as he hated losing, but he really had to admit he looked even prettier now that the bandages were gone and, despite the sting, he could see why he'd turned Jaden's head all the way around, to the point of completely stealing his attention.

By the prick's choice, their gazes locked from the very moment he stepped inside the coffee house and remained that way after the cheerful greeting none of them seemed to pay much attention to.

The expression he wore was the perfect opposite of his own bored, relaxed smile. It was calculating and suspicious, and since the only possible explanation for that kind of reaction was, without a doubt, jealousy, he pressed his luck and flashed him a small triumphant smirk.

It sure surprised him, if the wide-eyed look was anything to go by.

* * *

His dark haired jerk hadn't come around very often lately, so seeing him there was rather unexpected. Never in a bad way; not when it came to him.

And it just made him really glad and also terribly nervous. Glad because he would finally meet his new friend, and anxious because even if Aster and Chazz were alike in so many different ways, the chances of them hating or liking each other were 50/50. A recipe for disaster, he knew, but it was always worth a shot.

He grinned at his classmate and turned towards the young sports pro to introduce them. "Right. Aster-"

Another voice from behind him cut in before he could get anything else out. _"Jaden, you busy? I kinda need some help."_

It was Gab calling him from storage room, at a pretty inconvenient time if he might say. There must be something on the top shelves that she needed him to get for her. "Uh..." His eyes rounded from one of them to the other and he held out a finger in a distracted fashion as to excuse himself. The shorter of the two pushed himself off the counter with a light smirk and shrugged.

"No, no, it's okay. I have to go, anyway." He checked his watch and offered Chazz a glance, as well; a brief, peculiar look that made them both frown. "See you around, I guess."

And then, with a grace that he could only describe as cat-like, Aster breezed past his friend and walked out. The weirdest part of it all was definitely the stiffness that came off the gray eyed teen in waves and the firm way in which he remained with his gaze stare to the wall in the farthest end of the place, still scowling.

Whoa...they'd obviously loathed each other (that much he could make out) but why? Did he miss something? Even if he was rather particular with the people he liked, it was still unlike the youngest Princeton to go ahead and act so hostile out of nothing at all. Not anymore, at least.

He was arrogant and witty, not downright hostile — and yes, there was a difference. _"Getting old, here!" _

"Wait up, I'm coming!" Regardless of his words, he didn't budge from his spot and leaned forward a little, gently coaxing some eye contact. "What's wrong?" His question didn't get any kind of answer for a while, so he kinda started to wonder if he'd even heard him in the first place. Finally, after some apparent pondering, the other pinned him with his gaze alone and inched closer to the wooden table separating them. The same stare that had once seemed so heavy and scary now felt as normal and comfortable as that of his mirror dead ringer.

His words sparked off a pinprick sensation that ran down his back and covered his arms. "There's something...wrong about him."

"Wh-what do you mean?" Despite his whispering, hesitant tone, the older one still heard him perfectly. He'd been just about to elaborate on his cryptic comment when a violent concert of thuds and glass crashing sounds crept up on them, making him flinch out of his stupor like a frightened little boy.

They both made instinctive moves to rush into the back door to assist Gab, but there was a clear childish note in her voice that told him she was okay, if only a little embarrassed. _"Never mind!"_

_

* * *

_

The food they served in the cafeteria had always tasted like heaven and it made his mouth water even to this day, but no matter the dish, Chazz still seemed reluctant about so much as trying it. Sometimes he found himself wondering why, not only out of curiosity, but also because he seemed perhaps _too_ keen on evading eating anything at all during school.

He nibbled at his bottom lip in thought and let his gaze skim over his brooding partner's form. Ever since the guy started to come over for dinner (again), he'd been more than pleased to notice his almost lithe figure had been slowly gaining a good inch or two, mostly around the waist and shoulders.

Not _that_ many, just enough to shed that unhealthy air of fragility his appearance gave off. His face had also acquired a fine tint of color and a kind of glow that only the moon could rival.

To be honest, he wouldn't have minded at all if he stayed thin and tall like that forever; however, the change also meant he was obviously healthier now and that was something he couldn't afford to lose.

So he bought two plates and pushed it back towards him after he gently declined the initially nice offer, frowning in a way that left no room for arguing. He and the offending food both received a scowl, one of those glares that had been downright intimidating once upon a time and that were now ten times cuter than a kitten's swipe.

Said kitten dug in quietly after that, in any case, and that was an example he was more than happy to follow.

Jaden had been halfway through his meal when a certain ethereal prying in his forehead and eyelids made him realize he was being stared at.

He lifted his eyes and nearly all of his blood rushed up to gather at his cheeks and nose when he met the silver daggers nailed intently on him. It felt to him like Chazz was studying him, or maybe, if he went for wishful thinking, just trying to figure something out and he'd unluckily ended up in the path of his concentrated gaze. Whatever it was, he was starting to feel rather uncomfortable.

In a split second, somehow, _something_ clicked in the air and the atmosphere shifted, and so did their expressions.

There was an odd feeling nagging in the back of his head, and he examined the focused yet pensive face looking back at him before the question he'd been meaning to ask for almost a day now left his lips at the same time his classmate spoke up as well.

"Wrong how?"

"He likes you."

Both of their mouths fell closed and they stared at each other, suddenly at a loss of words. In his mind, it had almost felt like a script had been thrown into his hands for him to enact. He'd read something about that somewhere. Thet bizarre kind of mental connection with someone, the bounding sensation of being in the same channel, and despite the weirdness of it all, he was able to notice how nice synchronizing with a person as special to him as Chazz was. It felt more right than breathing in and out.

Still, such mystical occurrences were more than uncanny in the plane they lived in, and if fear ever had a trustworthy friend, it was definitely denial.

So they both ignored it as best as they could and burned the memory away, moving the conversation along merely for the sake of simplicity. Those three words finally sunk in and he narrowed his eyes at the completely misguided assumption. No wonder he'd acted so much like...like his old hostile self. What had led him to believe that anyway? That just probably his paranoid nature talking.

However...even if he was mistaken, the trust he had in him pushed him to just believe what he was saying without a question in what seemed like sheer instinct and that was the reason why his reply felt weird and wrong as it flew off his lips. "He doesn't."

After his boss' little incident (which he'd been forced to clean up) they didn't get have a chance to speak again, and by the time he was done re-stocking, Chazz had already gone home for the day. If he wanted clear answers, this was the time for that.

"You didn't answer my question. What's so wrong about him?"

The older teen slumped a little and snorted before resting his arms on the table. His smile was knowing but halfhearted. "Asides from the fact that he was drooling all over the counter like a love-sick dork?"

Frustrated like he hadn't been in ages, Jaden sighed a bit harshly. For some reason, that suggestion managed to annoy him even more every time he brought it up.

The other didn't seem to be letting that one go anytime soon, though; instead of paying any attention to his small warning, he craned his neck and threw head back in mocking disbelief, pressing further. "Come on, slacker. The guy has a little man-crush on you. Why can't you accept that?"

_'...what?'_ Couldn't Chazz listen to himself? Since he didn't have anything else to say, he voiced the first thought that crossed his mind. "What about you? Can you accept it?" _Finally_, he was able to shatter through the sarcasm and that Cheshire-cat-grin of his faltered, if only slightly. It took him a while to realize his expression hadn't wavered at all, just shifted to get replaced by his trademark mask.

As much as he was trying to look calm and pleased and hide his true emotions from tainting his features, his eyes easily betrayed them.

Doubt. "I mean, no offense, but I was expecting some kind of irrational anger, like you going all beast on me. You know...a fire-breathing dragon or something like that." The creative example he chose to illustrate his point drew a laugh out of his spiky haired jerk, and he allowed a smile of his own to show at the truly amused stare he was receiving.

Chazz held up a hand and shook his head in a correcting fashion. "Don't get me wrong. I still want to make him wear his sleazy tongue as a tie for his funeral..." He tore his gaze away from him to glance above his shoulder at something that'd fished his attention and his rant slowed down to a short-lived silence. If he didn't know any better, he'd say he looked like a gossipy girl caught red handed.

Before he could turn back to see what or who it was, the youngest Princeton leaned forward and carried on, lowering his voice to a whisper.

"But, since the sucker can only dream about getting his hands on you, I guess I'll let him keep his tongue the way it is. You're mine, remember?"

And then, unpredictable as ever, _even at this freaking point_, he winked at him and straightened up like nothing had happened with a smirk that was far too confident to belong to a...doubtful person, you might say.

Bastion came up from behind him and sat besides Chazz as Sy popped down next to him.

The beam his childhood friend offered him quickly morphed into a concerned frown. "You okay, Jay?" He squinted his eyes and inched closer to take a better look at his cherry-red face, so close that Jaden had to lean back a bit to keep his embarrassing, blushing state from being studied so thoroughly.

The two teens across from them engaged into a conversation of their own, and if he'd been actualy listening to what Sy was telling him, he would've missed the brief, pleased expression that appeared on that pale face at the innocent question. Though he was talking to Bastion, his body language betrayed his eavesdropping intention.

He was waiting for an answer almost as much as Syrus.

So he stared at him hard enough to make him turn and offered him an overly sweet grin with a meaning only he would understand, then looked down at his now not-so-steamy meal. "Yeah, yeah, I'm fine. I ran all the way here, guess I'm just kinda winded."

The boy in glassed laughed and patted his shoulder playfully. "Man, you must be starving, then!"

He nodded and shoved a spoonful of food into his mouth, making no effort to hide the fact that he was talking through a mouthful. "You have no idea."

That little stunt meant war, and he sincerely hoped Chazz realized that before it was too late. Well, now that he actually thought about it, things would get much more entertaining if he was a clueless, sitting duck.

All in all, he would get him back for that sooner or later.

* * *

For the twentieth time that night, he pulled back his sleeve and checked his watch, anxious to take the opportunity he'd been waiting far too long for.

The main lights were out. That woman, the short one who sometimes pulled Jaden away and asked him some things, she walked out the back door, really hurried and distracted by the looks of it. Amused and curious, he watched as she ran down the street while checking something on her cell phone, almost crashing face-first into a light poster on the way.

When she turned around a corner, he stuffed his keys into his pocket and stepped out of his car.

His ears quickly picked up the sound of a heavy door closing as soon as he paced a little into the slim alley beside that café, along with a catchy, cheery whistling.

Oh, the jackpot.

Sneaky was like his middle name, and though Sartorius thought that natural skill of his was pretty much the most annoying/unnerving thing in the world, today it proved to be rather useful, once again.

The beautiful brunet he was never able to erase from his mind the whole time he'd been away finished fumbling with the lock and turned around just as he took the last step that brought them both a less than a foot away from each other.

His smile probably resembled that of the green, bitter monster who tried to steal Christmas all too well, and even if it was perhaps a little more mischievous than he'd initially intended, the effect it summoned made up for that. He took all the time in the world to study that reaction as closely as possible.

"Boo."

Jaden's caramel eyes widened in fright before they even met his and he yelped ever so cutely, all of this in less than a proper second. Even if the instinctive jump his legs made was swift and strong, it didn't get him that far away from him since the very hard door behind him wouldn't allow that.

A deaf thud that matched the sudden stop of the brunet's head made him flinch and wince sympathetically, one of his hands coming up to the poor guy's shoulder to hold him up while he swayed. "Wow, I'm so sorry, man." He laughed and seized him tighter to give him a playful shake. "You're such a klutz, you know?"

When those arms slipped between them and pushed against his chest to force him away, the desperation and sadness that had been lying dormant inside him amplified a thousand times, tearing apart the last hinge, the final lock of the door.

And now...now it was all free. He growled deep and pressed him back into the metallic gate, expressing his infinite reluctance to relinquish the hold he had on him. It earned him a grunt that he cherished as much as he overlooked it. "No hello or anything? That's a little rude, don't you think?"

By the way he'd been going crazy for the past weeks, he knew No was _not_ an available answer, much less the one he wanted to get.

* * *

"Aster?" Jaden shook his head to clear it and lifted dazed, russet eyes to stare through the cobalt-glass windows that looked into a stormy room of torment, so dark and furious like he had never seen before. All the confusion he found there amazed him, and his mind dove into panic mode when he realized the cold hand seizing his shoulder was not only holding him up, but also locking his movements altogether.

He struggled a little at the frightening discovery and wrapped his hands around the arm that stabbed him into the wall, above the wrist.

"What are you doing?" Everything Chazz had told him earlier made so much sense right now and it made him feel like the biggest jerk ever, unsurprisingly. He'd brushed him off and taken his words for nonsense instead of listening to him like a smart person would. Like a real friend would. That realization did the trick in respect of making him sick and lightheaded. Still, it wasn't like he was quick enough to process that **and** react on top of that.

A terrifying, white smirk parted the long haired teen's lips and he merely stared at him for about a minute, contemplating, before answering. "Me? Oh, I'm just..." Sly fingers ghosted down his arm just as that blue gaze rose to meet his. "...hanging around. I wanted to see you."

If only the sense in his words matched the insanity in his tone... The brunet turned his head to the side a little, frowning tentatively. "Why?"

For an extremely weird moment, the laugh and expression Aster gave at his question reminded him of Jesse — it was a fleeting and really bizarre resemblance, but a pressing one, in any case. "Can't figure it out, uh? You're just so fucking adorable, you know that?"

Right...why didn't he like the sound of that? His mind was at a complete loss of options, here. He really, _really_ wished the young man in front of him was simply trying to throw him off balance; nothing harmful, just a little bit of mind-twisting. If he broke down and crackled like mad at his ingenuousness, he'd be stupidly relieved.

So yeah, he was pretty much _hoping_ he was just an unbelievable actor and not the flaming psycho he was portraying himself to be.

No matter how insistent his efforts to get him to disengage were, they all turned out to be unsuccessful and the whole situaton was starting to get on his nerves. The sneer got traded by a lip-closed, relaxed smile as the guy leaned forward a little, almost bumping their foreheads together.

Whatever his intentions were, somehow he already knew something nasty was about to happen. "Maybe I should give you a hint."

Without so much as a warning of any kind, a foreign pair of flesh pillows vaguely brushed against his mouth.

It all happened too fast for his mind to process that and store it away into his memory. The only thing that registered was the thick wall of red that flashed before his eyes and the almost inexistent weigh of his arm as it slashed the air.

His fist shot up to embed itself into Aster's face before the whole weight of the unwanted kiss could be pressed into his lips, all of this in the blink of an eye. Phoenix received the might he'd put behind the blow in its entirety and stayed with his face turned away for a while, eyes wide and jaw hanging open, kinda limply, which was to be expected considering that was where his knuckles had landed on.

He allowed himself to feel some kind of sick relief at the numbing throb biting at his hand, and even though it was pretty much a useless action, he flexed his fingers and scowled, promising a real threat should he decide to try anything funny in the future.

Hadn't seen that one that coming, now had he? And if he thought that was the only resistance he was going find, he was in for a little surprise. Problem was, his body still didn't budge, and neither did the tight grasp he had on his shoulder.

Instead of exploding in anger or retaliating like he'd been expecting him to, the other simply blinked and spun his head back to toss a sideway grin in his direction. Then his chest started heaving in a strange way; even as close as he was, he couldn't make out if he was laughing or coughing. Either way, the cold hand of fear clenched around his heart in a merciless grip.

Finally, the odd trembling of his frame ceased and that amused, laid-back look he was familiar with (or not...) returned to his face; a hand was held up, palm-out in an apologetic manner. "Alright, I get it...My bad."

He didn't let go of his arm, thought. Probably because he knew he'd seize the opportunity to bolt like lighting if he did. Smart move, he had to admit. And then whatever hope of everything turning out to be just a plain-weird episode or something like that crashed and burnt at the way his expression morphed into a mocking smirk, its wickedness nothing short of that of a nightmare demon.

"Sometimes I forget you're _already taken_."

Taken? What the hell did he mean by- "How do you know that?"

No, he didn't even bother denying anything. The mocking tone, the emphasis on the key words — they all said more than enough. Somehow, the strange suspicion that he did not only know he was with someone but also who that someone was, it lit alive inside his head like an emergency signal.

How he'd figured all that out just by looking at them was beyond him, but the nagging feeling that said someone might be in some kind of danger here, it was tearing a hole into his stomach. To make a deduction like that with no real bases whatsoever... it was amazing, if not eerie.

He only knew one person whose deductive skills were that extraordinary...

...and Hell would freeze all over a thousand times before he let anything happen to that jerk.

In the end, the only answer his query elicited was a chilling, knowing laugh. He growled and shrugged off that claw-like hand, making no efforts to be subtle or even friendly in the least. It released him and landed on the bricks next to his neck. So they weren't done just yet. Peachy.

Brown eyes narrowed as their owner dug his heels in hard and stood his ground for all that he was worth, still unafraid. "This isn't funny anymore, Aster."

Though the blue eyed man started nodding in agreement right after his statement, he just couldn't bring himself to feel remotely relieved. With a straight face that shouldn't have been threatening, yet was very much threatening, he said: "You're right. Let's make it entertaining, then."

When he leant down a little to bring them both at eye-level and, smartly keeping his distance, he allowed that sapphire gaze to skate over his features, studying him and every expression as it seemed. Uncomfortable situation as it was, that taunting crooked grin he was sure would cause him nightmares had yet to return to his face, so he deemed it as a tiny start.

_'He calls this 'making it entertaining'?' _He realized just how nervous he was when he almost couldn't keep himself from **giggling** at his stupid mental remark and the sheer ridiculousness of it all increased his frustration tenfold in a sec. Why wasn't he running away? He'd punched him once, so why didn't he do it again and made a desperate run for it?

Only it wasn't willpower than he lacked. The fact that his legs and arms failed to respond to a simple test such as bending proved that much. Whatever Aster was doing, it certainly had a devastating effect on him. He wasn't Jaden Yuki, not anymore.

Right now, he was the cheerful nightingale whose song had been cut short once his stare locked with that of a cat; and the predator knew it was just a matter of time before his prey fell right into his claws.

If he'd been mere _inches_ deeper inside his own reverie, he would've missed the poorly hidden yet flash-brief smoke of bitterness that flickered alive in that gaze and died the very same instant. "What's so special about him?"

Though he managed to keep all of the surprise and anger he felt rising from showing, his head was a thundering chaos. It was times like this that almost made him want to envy Chazz for being so freaking sharp and mistrusting. Those personal qualities were a royal pain in the ass for him most of the time, but they really must've gotten him out of many sticky situations in the past and so, he made a mental note about appreciating them a little bit more in the future.

If he had one, of course.

The sports pro didn't seem to like his lack of response very much, for he growled lowly into his face like a hungry wolf and, if the lighting wasn't as unhelpful as it was, he could've sworn his eyes had dimmed a shade or two in less than a sec. With dread, he realized whatever serenity that might've lingered on his gaze had quickly given in to disdain.

Aster sneered down at him. "Can't pick just _one_ reason, huh?"

Apprehension crept in to strike a nerve because he honestly hadn't even considered the previous question in the least. It took him about three seconds to remember it and two to come up with an answer, but no matter how hard he tried to put it everything into words, he failed to phrase it everytime.

The other didn't wait much, anyway. "Hm. So either you're a very lonely guy, or he's just a freaking sex god. That's...interesting."

Never in his wildest dreams or worst moments did he ever think it would be possible for all of his blood to gather on his face after a plain comment. Now that it was happening to him, he found it rather hard not to believe it. How his head hadn't exploded yet from the excruciating pressure was a mystery to him. He gulped. There must have been something about his unspoken response that in some way pleased the older teen because he looked at him with wide eyes before crooning mockingly, his smirk far too knowing to be a bluff.

If there was anything he despised more than being cornered, it was definitly getting caught up in a situation where even silence could give away the answers he didn't have. "You mean to tell me dear Emo-boy hasn't taken you yet?"

Again, he could only blush harder and gape like an idiot. 'Cause seriously, what could he say to that? This guy he barely knew had him backed up against a corner and was nonchalantly asking him things that were too personal. Stuff he himself hadn't even thought about.

As much as he tried, he wasn't able to stop his mind from going to places he wasn't so sure he wanted to visit.

And the fact that this prick was sticking his nose into other people's lives like it was his occupation or something, rendering him completely clueless in the process, it annoyed him beyond belief. "What's it to you, anyway?" His hand was shaking in frustration and anger as he brushed his fingers against his temple jadedly; he then let them both fall back to his sides and allowed the scowl he felt tickling his brow to show.

The motion caused the other to instinctively draw back, if only a few inches, and he gladly took the opportunity to retrieve some of his space by leaning forward.

"_Look_, playtime's over. Whatever it is that you want, the answer is **no**."

Yes, he was being very reckless. However, at this rate, he couldn't have cared less if Phoenix decided to beat his sorry ass or not. Aster's intentions were pretty crystal-clear now — he wanted more than he could or wanted to give him.

And maybe in the end, a massive beating was precisely what he needed in order to learn not to be so damn credulous and blind in the future.

But as much as he'd been anticipating a punch or a fit in the very least, the sports pro remained eerily calm and merely stared at him, face blank. After a while, he finally nodded. "I see."

Jaden opened his mouth to refuse any possible argument he might receive, (for the lack of a decent, angry reaction), and closed it again once the two words successfully sank in. He shook his head slowly in disbelief and raised both eyebrows. "...what?"

And then, much to his surprise and infinite dread, Aster cocked his head a little and smiled at him. It was serene and sweet and so terribly deceitful he could distantly feel the way his stomach tied up in complicated knots at the sight. "It's okay. I understand I can't force you to do anything if you say you don't want to." He admitted softly.

The brown haired teen couldn't comprehend why those supposedly reassuring sounded ten times more terrifying than a direct threat to the face.

Still...if he replayed them on his mind and really thought them through...perhaps he was just exaggerating, right? He wasn't a bad guy; that much he knew for sure. Even if he was kinda naïve and over-optimistic sometimes, he knew there was no way he could've been _that_ mistaken.

However, before the brunet could fully accept this theory and sight in relief, the taller boy leaned in and stared hungrily at his lips, a vivid fire now dancing within his azure orbs.

"But…" The gray haired teen abruptly shoved back against the wall with both hands now, resting enough pressure on his shoulders to make it clear that any resistance would only end up in violence. Both were standing mere centimeters away from each other now, their faces so close that he could feel Aster's hot breath tickling his already scorching skin. "Maybe you don't know what you want yet..."

For a moment, a brief, weird moment, he honestly thought the gruff voice that slashed through the darkness and froze the scene to a standstill was nothing more than a trick his desperate and scared mind was playing on him.

It took him half a second to deem it as real and then another to recognize it.

"Yeah, well _I_ do..."

(End of Chapter 21)


	22. The Good Left Undone

**Summary: (AU fic)** When you suddenly find your life shattered, you learn that love can be found in the most unpredictable places. Takes place through their last year of high school, so if you're looking for a Duel monsters story, this is not for you. ChazzJaden**  
Pairings:** ChazzJaden and one-sided JadenAster, a bit of JesseJaden, but there'll be other pairings as well.

**Warnings:** Very much like the first chaps, so expect lots of angst.

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu Gi Oh GX, its characters or any of the songs mentioned. It's going to be a long one, so be prepared.

* * *

Chapter 22  
"**The Good Left Undone"**

Funny how the most innocent of gut feelings could turn out to be a real, tangible premise of something nasty.

He never ever waited for him or swung by to pick the dork up from work because, in all honesty, he could not see the point in doing so. The slacker might look frail and frilly like a pretty chick, but he sure was a tough one.

Of course, he knew that wasn't the only reason. He had some...past-experiences with that kind of things and each and every one of them had the potential to scare him for life.

Every single one of his old girlfriends had been full blown, real nut cases (paranoia, jealously, the whole works), so he knew for a fact that being stalked 24/7, by the person who should trust you the most never-the-less, was not a very comfortable situation for a guy. Same went for calls.

Seriously...

Would he die a thousand times for the moron? Hells yeah. But he really, _really_ didn't need to call him all the long to know what he'd done while he'd been out of sight, or have him do the same thing. None of the girls he'd dated were able to understand that.

That said...what was he doing there, then? Some nightly exercise, probably.

Since walking around aimlessly was right up his alley, it wasn't as if he actually minded. A trip that a couple months back would've taken him at least an hour now took him little less than fifteen minutes.

Lights and signs turned off, the place was obviously closed by the time he turned on the last corner, and the sight of it alone sent the weirdest sinking feeling straight to his gut. What was weirder, though, was the kinda dazed way in which he kept pacing towards it, even if the slacker was most likely dozing off in the coziness of his house as he did.

It was one of those things that just couldn't be explained.

A single firm tug at the door confirmed his suspicion even further. But he still didn't walk away.

There had been one time, a couple of weeks back, when he'd accidentally found Jaden on the small alleyway besides the café house. The guy had been happily dumping the garbage, miles and miles inside his own head as usual, and it had been way too tempting for him not to take that opportunity to give him a little life lesson while he still could.

If he was going to stick around him for the rest of his unfortunate life, then he had to learn one simple thing — he had to **always** be on his toes.

Asides from having something to laugh at all the day long, he also learned there was in fact a back door. A hint of logic was all he needed to deduce the back door was the last one they closed, so if he wasn't there, then he'd really missed him for the day.

The sound of voices was, of course, the very last thing he'd been expecting as he walked closer to it. The tiny hairs on the back of his neck stood up, like the hackles of a cat.

Gee...as if a dark, small alley on an equally dark street wasn't creepy enough on its own. His advance never stopped, though; each of his senses were at their peaks, his instincts demanding him to be sharp and careful. In his restless state, he found some wicked sense of hilarity in the little, if not nonexistent concern he had about it all. After all, there were more pressing matters to deal with first; like finding the slacker, for example.

A faint light met his gaze from the deepest side of the dead end, coating the two figures that stood so close to each other with its vague, dirty glow.

For some strange reason, when he realized Jaden was one of them, his mind refused to provide any kind of reaction. There was no anger, no hurt. Only a speck of curiosity that grew ten times bigger at the overly sweet, disgusting smile that appeared on Aster Phoenix's face, literally out of nowhere. Thankfully, his danger-meter soared heaven-ways and the alarm that came along kicked his mind into motion.

If he hadn't been already suspecting exactly what he was seeing at that moment, he would've laughed. Even if he never considered it to be possible, he had to admit that being absolutely right wasn't all that great, sometimes.

_'And you're still not bashing his dry brains in. Figures...'_

And sometimes, you just have to admit you hate the little voice inside your head for being right, too. Oh, Jaden had no idea how fitting the fire-breathing-dragon image he'd brought up in the morning was. Now that irony had decided to show its ugly face, the whole thing was all the more hilarious.

That laid-back, boyshish voice was just as condescending and sickening as he remembered it, and if the frown on the brunet's face was anything to go by, then he was clearly not enjoying the closeness, either.

"It's okay. I understand I can't force you to do anything if you say you don't want to."

From his spot, several feet away, he huffed quietly at the jerk's cheekiness. The slacker had already declined his offer and he was _still_ pressing his luck? Not that he'd been expecting any less from both.

Maybe he should let the brunet handle this one. He knew Jaden could and would take the prick down on his own if he had to, so he refrained from butting in just yet. A crooked smirk that was by all means sweeter than sugar crept in and settled on his lips.

...alright, maybe seeing him actually turn the celebrity down was what he really wanted. What's life without the sweet guilty pleasures, right?

"But..."

He'd been so busy wondering just what kind of pathetic excuse the other would use that, when Aster pushed Jaden into the wall with his body and nearly devoured him with his eyes, he could only blink and stare at them stupidly. It was the freezing type of shock that witnessing murder would bring.

It wasn't like the surprise had been meant to last long, anyway.

Slowly but surely, the possessive human nature inside him roared to life and a scalding yet icy wave of something utterly unnamed slid down his spine, the feeling a close resemblance of having a bucked of cold rain water thrown right to the back.

A growl too dark and animalistic to belong to anything but a mythical night creature ripped from his throat, his jaw taunt and ready to shred the son of a bitch to itty bitty pieces with his teeth alone if it came down to that.

And just as he'd been about to literally lunge at him, another wave of a different kind washed over him; this one was warm and soothing, and he felt his aggressive stance melt. He craned his neck a little and threw his shoulders back. Time to cut in.

"...maybe you don't know what you want yet..."

With a composure that even he was unable to recognize, Chazz slipped his fingers inside the front pockets of his jeans and frowned acidly. "Yeah, well _I_ do."

If he'd been the one on the receiving end of that remark, he was sure the impassive, low tone alone would've made him break into a sweat. The bitter look on Phoenix's face when he took a step closer told him they weren't that different from each other in the end.

"And right now, there's nothing I want more than to kick you 'till there's not a second you walk without spilling your nasty guts into the floor." When he was two meters away from reaching them, his pacing came to a stop. Giving the guy some head-start would only be polite of him. "So back off, playboy."

Dumbstruck cerulean met icy onyx.

Aster allowed himself a little moment of hesitation before straightening up. To be completely honest, the intensity in the deathly glare he was receiving had almost made him stagger back at first.

Pulling himself back as fast as his disoriented mind could, he spun around to fully face the other, a relaxed grin now gracing his soft features. If Jaden had been quite a handful for him, then there was no doubt in his mind that this guy was going to be a real challenge.

Oh, he _loved_ challenges.

Finally, something interesting. And if he said he hadn't been waiting to do this, he'd be lying. If his reading abilities were as sharp as he remembered them, then Pretty Emo-boy was most likely a hot-headed, impulsive one, just the type to look down on everybody.

Too bad he didn't exactly know who he was messing with.

His father had taken him along on almost every trip he took over the globe, so saying he'd been all over the world wouldn't be an understatement. He'd seen and learned countless disciplines, and he'd taken everything in like a sponge because he was a quick study and a natural athlete.

He was literally at the top of his game, here, and he knew that taking this guy down would be no problem for him, but that was just his childish, possessive side speaking. That conceited asshole made him so jealous sometimes; particularly the attention he received from his naive crush. Like the unnoticed smiles and the sneaky, everything-else-drowns-out stares — oh, he hated that.

In the short time frame he had to get to know Jaden, the things he'd found had rocketed through his initial expectations and gone beyond anything he'd seen before. This boy, Jaden Yuki, he was truly amazing. And this guy didn't seem to realize just how precious the gem he was hording was. Well, that was about to change.

More accurately, _he_ was going to change that. Simply because Jaden deserved so much better. '_Like _me_..._'

However...two wrongs wouldn't make a right. This mess was an exclusive design of his, and if he didn't think twice and started searching for an easy, more diplomatic way out of this little slip-up, his career would suffer.

Even worse, he could very much underestimate the guy and end up getting a long-lasting lesion that would put him out of any future competitions.

In that case, **he** would suffer. The devil in a female disguise he'd hired to be his manager would make sure of that.

And nobody would want that.

The grin that hadn't left his face widened slightly. "Thanks, I'll think about it." Yeah, yeah, he knew that wasn't necessarily the smoothest move ever, but there was something about that good-looking prick that begged him to keep on teasing him.

The taller one merely shrugged, and that feeble reaction managed to frustrate him more than the bluntest of rejections. "Your call, Aster. One more stupid decision from you and we'll both get what we want...at least I know I will."

Bold, dangerous and confident. It really was no wonder sweet innocent Jaden was so hooked on him.

Hm, what a peculiar pair he had on his hands...

Taking his hands off the brunet (not without smiling at him, of course), he walked away from him and moved towards his beautiful boyfriend, instead.

"I'm at a disadvantage here, pal." Arms spread out inoffensively, he took the time to savor every single step that led him closer to the guy. "You're threatening me and I don't even know your name." He made sure to leave him with very little personal space and stared right into those stony eyes. "You already know mine, so let's be fair, shall we?"

But no matter how sarcastic or mocking his tone was, those features didn't change in the least; not even a freaking twitch. This guy was giving him no material to work with, whatsoever, and it was kinda starting to worry him a little.

He was turning to be not as predictable as he thought he'd be. Not predictable at all, actually.

'_What a prick...__'_ The black-haired teen thought as he regarded said prick with a suspicious, contemplative look before nodding. Somehow, he had the annoying feeling the celebrity was trying his damnedest to get inside his head. "Fair enough."

Chazz didn't know what was worse: the faux smile that lit up the asshole's face at his cooperation or the fact that he spared its life for more than two seconds. Well, since he was a decent, compassionate soul, he decided he might as well humor the son of a bitch and grant him some last words.

Oh yeah, he was _that_ considerate.

As long as he didn't touch the slacker ever again, he had a respectable chance at surviving. "Great. Let's start all over again, then." He didn't have a choice but to take the hand that his confident victim held out in a display of courtesy. "Aster Phoenix, pleased to meet you."

Not a very mature move; however, he just couldn't resist the urge to mash the offered knuckles between his fingers and the light twitch in the other's pleased expression was definitely a good reward.

Despite the situation and the loud screams inside his head that called for bloody vengeance, he evened the score and smirked down at his new-found challenger.

"Chazz Princeton."

And then, something really, _really_ strange happened.

Even before he said his full name, the guy had been nodding already, going along with the little charade they both had agreed to, but the moment the last syllable passed his lips, the tall and strong posture and impenetrable bravado act he was hiding behind, it simply...fell. Disastrous and instantaneous, like an old building collapsing on its roots, the satisfaction faded from his face altogether.

Suddenly, the condescending asshole that had been pestering _his_ moron and mocking him was shot down violently, leaving a pale, pathetic-looking shell in his place.

For little longer than a second, the expression on Phoenix's face — the devastation in that sapphire gaze alone, it was more than enough to plunge a horrible sinking feeling straight into his chest. It was so miserable and pitiful that he found it hard to concentrate on the task at hand and just keep on hating the guy like he was supposed to. It was like trying to kick a frightened puppy. Not humanly possible.

Yes, maybe that was exactly what he'd wanted. To see the mask of the almighty Aster Phoenix crumble and watch him loose his cool composure, all the while knowing he was the reason for such occurrence.

Still...as much as he wanted to rejoice at the helpless look, his curiosity about knowing what had caused it was a billion times bigger.

It was gone before his mind could deem the bizarre image as real, way faster than he could gulp in a breath so he sort of wondered for a second if he had in fact seen it.

But no, it hadn't been a hallucination.

The sour sneer that took over on the bastard's face was more than enough to erase any doubts from his head. Brilliant blue eyes strayed away from his to trace the whole alley in a semi-frenzied fashion before coming back up to him. Aster shook his head lightly, kinda distractedly and his lips parted more than once to utter words that just wouldn't come out.

Chazz only blinked, knowing without a doubt that although he was trying to find something intelligent and biting to say, his mind was in too much distress to cooperate. How did he know that? Simple. He was very familiar with the expression, and the distress..._that_ he could feel.

He'd been too busy psychoanalyzing the sports-star that he had failed to notice the puffiness of his breathing rhythm and the soft trembling of his hands and shoulders.

Okay, something was definitely not right.

Out of blind impulse, he took a step that ate away half of the already small space separating him from Aster; he realized his mistake right away when the other almost stumbled down into his back in his hurry to make up for the inches he'd gained.

His silver bangs fell over his eyes and rested awkwardly on the bridge on his nose, following the desperate shaking of his head. This time around, the youngest Princeton didn't move from his spot.

It didn't take much for Chazz to realize he was on the verge of a mental breakdown. Why in the hell would he be having one of those was beyond him, but he quickly decided none of that mattered. Whatever was causing it wasn't as important as the consequences.

It was a state much too dangerous for such a bold guy, so he had think of something if he wanted them all out this in one piece. Extra points for speed.

Those big eyes weren't making much sense to him anymore, and the low-spoken words that reached his ears only made the lightheaded sensation worse.

"I...I'm...I'm sorry. I'm sorry, I-I was..."

...and by **God**, he believed him. He truly did, even if he didn't know what the heck he was talking about. Sure, he could be pretty hostile and nasty sometimes, but even he could admit he wasn't that _scary_...right?

Murder had only been a childish thought, and yet, this guy was looking at him like he was Charlie Manson himself or something like that. Maybe he knew who his brothers were...

Aster then turned to give Jaden a glance, his face just as blank as he looked at his so-called-crush. In all honesty, a plain, hateful glare would've been a hundred times less scary than that empty stare, the mere sight of it more than enough to throw him into a petrifying kind of alarm. One that was completely new to him.

Light bitterness appeared on his face all of a sudden, like he'd just remembered who he was supposed to be and why exactly he was there. "Whatever..." Phoenix swayed back a little and shook his head again, raising a hand to wave off air in a dismissive manner. "Just...whatever. I don't care anymore. Forget I was even here."

As soon as Aster turned back to him, Jaden shot him the most alarmed, concerned look over the guy's shoulder. _'So he felt it too...'_ Ignoring his own worry and doubt, he offered the slacker a reassuring nod. "I'm sorry, but I can't let you go. You're obviously not alrig-"

He quickly realized his second mistake of the night when, before he could so much as notice him moving, the other lunged towards him. He really should've never taken his eyes off him...

The split second he had to react, he couldn't decide if Aster's intention was to punch him or push past him; either way, he grabbed his arms just as a pair of hands grabbed his shoulders.

In any case, he didn't have a chance to grapple with him and make him stop by force because the ground swiftly vanished from under his feet. Fast as the attack of a snake, he was hurled against the nearest wall with a great deal of strength that only adrenaline could loan.

Through the thick, black spots that danced on his sight, he saw him run out of the alley like he had a hellhound on his heels and disappear behind the angle of the corner. He tried to run after him, torn between the urge to kill and the instinct to help that tormented nutjob, only to discover his entire body wasn't responding quite the way it was supposed to.

When he heard Jaden shout something, he shut his eyes tightly and wished with all his might he could just snap out of the daze to protect him. His brain gave one more toss inside his head and through the dizziness and pain, the only thing that crossed his mind was the slacker.

Something hard and heavy hit his right side, squeezing the air out of him. It took him a while to realize he was actually lying on his shoulder on the concrete.

Ever so distantly, he was able to feel a warm pressure on his neck and light slaps on his cheek, as well as an arm that sneaked under his and gently pushed him up.

...or down. It was rather hard to tell.

"-azz! Come on, man!" Now that was a voice not even amnesia would make him forget, even with the foreign, frightened pitch. It was definitely the slacker. Strong fingers wrapped around his chin and squeezed his cheeks a bit. "Chazz, look at me."

Scared was not a tone he wanted to ever hear him use, so he tried to chuckle to calm him a little. A shaky groan came out instead. "That's right, bossy is just the way I like it..."

Not the time or the place for that, he knew. It was just that...Jaden's reactions to that kind of comments were always **priceless**, and since there was no way in hell he would miss that one, he made an extra effort and forced his gaze to focus.

But no. No pretty blush for him this time. Instead, he found a set of glassy chocolate orbs staring down at him in concern...and guilt, now that he looked closely.

"Chazz, I..." That was definitely the beginning of a statement he wasn't really in the mood to handle. He knew exactly what his dear ol' dork wanted to say, and it was not something he wanted to hear him say. Not ever, not even if he'd been right about Aster.

And while the ways to shut someone up were countless, whether it was done gently or violently, there was one amongst them all that he liked to call his absolute favorite.

Without stopping a split second to think about it, he threaded his fingers on the locks of auburn hair that rubbed the back of Jaden's neck and pulled him in for a light kiss. Pride and a mad type of glee deluged his senses at the way in which the body hovering over melted instantly against him. Goosebumps tickled his face and arms when a warm hand slid up his forearm until fingers brushed his nape.

Breaking away that moment was probably one of the hardest things he'd ever had to do in his life.

He gazed up at Jaden and waited for him to open his eyes; a light smirk crooked the corner of his mouth at the dazed look he received, followed by a frown. "You know, you're a pretty good kisser, slacker. I'm sure I have Syrus to thank for that, huh?"

Yes, crashing the mood like that was insensitive, and it was possibly the most hapless, deflective habit ever; in his defense, though, the slacker's habit of overlooking his crafty sarcasm was by far superior, like a defense mechanism against his own defense mechanism.

Before he could say something else to make up for the lack of reply, he was gathered into a tight hug that plucked a small grunt from his lips.

What he definitely did not expect was the firm, shaky kiss that was pressed into his jaw, right beneath his ear, in what seemed like a desperate act of apology. Whatever the reason, it sure surprised him.

In all the months they'd been together, that kind of love expressions had been very few, if not rare — it was just the kind of relationship they both felt most comfortable with, he guessed.

Simply because he was naturally introverted and Jaden didn't know anything about further levels (or what a level was to being with); it went without saying that none of them had a problem with that. And he frankly didn't mind enough to change anything about it.

He loved the guy exactly the way he was. Naive and easy to turn beet-red.

That kind of innocence was incredibly rare in itself, and he was determined to fight, even with himself, just to keep that intact for as long as he could.

Jaden had always proved to be the ultimate challenge he'd ever come across, so why would this be any exception? He gently pushed him away to meet his eyes and smiled up at Jaden. "C'mon, help me up a little, will you?"

* * *

_In the pit of the night, in the darkest, most mystical hour, there's a certain pitch all restless souls hit. Some call it distress or insomnia — he calls it awakening. Said stage stands out from all the rest for one simple, common trait. It always brings the million-dollar-question: Why? _

_Why did she leave me? Why did he leave too?_

_Why is this happening to me?_

_Why am I like this?_

_Why are they so insufferably happy together?_

_Just..._**why?**

_Most people find the answers they needed but hadn't been looking for and are done with it. Some others, like him, well they...can't._

* * *

(1 month later)

"Here, you look like you could use some coffee. My treat."

The dark green mug she placed in front of him was so tempting; in the end, he simply wasn't strong enough to resist it. He smirked at the woman behind the counter and accepted the offering. "Thanks. You know, as long as you don't have to sell the slacker to keep this place afloat, I'm fine with this kind of generosity."

"Well, I know of a little someone who'd buy him straight away if that ever happened..." That look...and he could've sworn he saw her smile a bit. Did she know about them being together or something?

He parted his lips in order to ask her but a clean voice cut in first, making them both turn their heads sharply to address the source. "Good evening."

'_Oh my...'_

That had to be the weirdest guy he'd ever seen. His clothes were pristine white, except for the purple dress shirt he wore under the suit, which matched his long, neatly tamed hair. And his eyes...they were the deepest shade of amethyst there was, so blunt and searching.

Somehow, he didn't need to be able to read this man's mind to know he was in trouble. "...yes?"

"I apologize for barging in like that, but I'm looking for someone, maybe you can help me. His name's Jaden. Jaden Yuki."

If the look on this guy's face as he said **that** name wasn't enough to scare him, then the air of confidence about him certainly did the trick. And that was exactly why he didn't hesitate in the least before saying: "Well, you got the wrong place, then. I just fired his lazy ass last week."

He sneaked a glance at Gabriel and found her pretty much cowering under the man's intense gaze. When her eyes rose to meet his, he shot her an indifferent stare before turning back to the tall stranger, who merely studied him with a mistrustful expression. "Aren't you a little too young to own this place?"

A bead of cold sweat ran down the side of his face and mixed with his sideburn; somehow, he just knew something really bad would happen if this guy so much as suspected he was lying. On the other hand, if the slacker happened to come through the back door, it would all be over. "That's because I don't. My family does. What about you? Aren't you a little too old to be dyeing your hair purple?"

And man, he'd never been so glad about having such a big mouth like he was right then, especially when a shard of anger flashed through the man's eyes.

He knew he'd sealed the lie the moment a confident smirk spread across his lips, perfectly complementing the essence of his nonchalant expression. "Anything else I can do for you, sir?"

The mystery man gazed at him for only a second longer before bowing. Not out of courtesy, of course, since the look on his eyes spoke of annoyance and Mr. Creepy-pants here was probably just trying to be civilized for the sake of keeping a low profile. "Not at all. Thank you for your time, young man."

"Sure, anytime."

One last contemplative stare was tossed his way, like a final inspection or a warning, and then the man finally turned on his heels and walked out. He watched the tall figure go, followed him with his eyes until the man got lost among the late afternoon crowd, stealing his self-confidence with every step he took in the wrong direction.

Once he was sure the man was truly gone and the paranoia drilling on the back of his head lessened slightly, he turned around and let the mask fall down. His heartbeat resembled the fiercest of drum solos, its thumping fast enough to spark a migraine and the wooziness that came along forced him to grab the nearest chair to support his dead weight.

The back door swung open.

Without thinking twice about it, he hopped over the short fence that separated him from the other side of the counter and pushed the slacker back in just as he was coming out, making him stumble a little. "Whoa! What are you..."

Jaden struggled at first as soon as the door closed behind them, but when Chazz put his arms around him and buried his face into his temple, his body near enough for him to take a lungful of his distinctive scent, it was impossible for him not to liquefy at his touch.

His back hit something hard, most likely the wall. The brunet lifted a hesitant hand to lay it on the taller teen's upper back, the other coming up to the chest pressed against his to push them apart — no avail, whatsoever. In the end, he chose to wrap his arms around his friend's waist and bring them even closer. "Chazz, what's wrong?"

Seriously, he was perfectly fine when he left him a minute ago...

"Jaden..." A pair of lips and a dizzying draft of hot air ghosted over the skin of his neck every time the youngest Princeton uttered a word. He went very still in that distracting embrace, simply waiting. "Let's get away for the weekend, just you and me." Warm fingers found his jaw and tilted his head up just the inch it took for their faces to align for a faultless kiss, one that threw him up and through the roof in an instant. His eyelids fell shut.

Whatever had gotten into Chazz so suddenly, he couldn't really say he disliked it.

When they broke apart with a puff of breath from both, he threw his head back until it hit the wall his classmate had him pinned against and glanced up to meet the brilliant, silver gaze of his everlasting crush. The expression on that pale face was one he'd never seen before, and he was absolutely sure he would never forget it, either. Not as long as he had a conscience on him.

It was lost and pleading, frightened yet loving, and so very sincere he found himself falling deep in love all over again.

"What do you say?"

'_What in the world happened to you, Chazz?'_ And even though he really, _really_ wanted to know what had managed to scare the gutsy Chazz Princeton like that, the other was still waiting for him to accept or decline his absurd, out-of-the-blue proposal. Despite the suddenness of it all, he had to admit it was kinda romantic, too.

He slumped back against the wall with a helpless sigh and smiled, eyes halfway closed and just as loving as the ones staring down at him rather curiously.

"Alright. Just you and me."

How could he ever deny him anything? Sometimes, he honestly didn't know if he was even capable of saying no to that jerk.

* * *

Dark blue eyes the rain surveyed the gleaming effect rain had on everything it reached, on the trees and cars the window of his room looked down upon. His ears had stopped acknowledging the maddening pit-pat hours ago; unfortunately, he soon realized the static of silence was ten times worse for his troubled mind.

Wrong day to pick that motel, he guessed.

So asides from having to hide like a rat in the crappiest, most random highway motel and living off of canned goods and half-assed meals, he also had to deal with this ceaseless, depressing weather. And if all that wasn't enough to make him want to drown himself in the questionably clean bathroom, then the fact that the provisional stove that came with the room failed to ignite sure as hell didn't help much.

It actually took him a while to realize the air was free of any traces of gas after almost a minute of trying.

He sighed.

To think he could be back 'home', eating an A-class dinner with any type of meat he might want, under a steady, stunning roof, in his own room...

All because of an incredibly unlucky coincidence...

He tried not to think too much about Sartorius, or the amount of wrinkles his disappearance was probably causing him, and focused on finding a way out of the deplorable situation he was in. When he told the nice, old lady in the reception about his little problem with the rundown kitchen, she simply offered him a rather toothless smile and promised to send someone to fix it right away.

To be honest, he doubted it. Judging by the way he had to repeat his room number and fake name around five times each, she would most likely forget her promise.

Maybe it was the universe's way of telling him should eat out that day. Ah, well...at least he still had his beautiful, brand-new car at his disposal.

* * *

Usually, by the time he got home after a long day at work, he would be so mashed and sleepy he could barely make it to his bed without passing out right there on the floor. That night, however, it was the complete opposite...

He was too pumped and anxious to even consider sleeping.

His mother's reaction to their little trip was so...scarily calm. She was almost too cooperative when it came to any of Chazz' bizarre ideas.

And he still didn't know where his black-haired partner was taking him to, or how they would get there.

But if having an entire weekend alone with Chazz meant he'd have to trust him this much, then he was going to close his eyes, hold his breath and let the warm current take him away.

* * *

Even if the night breeze was rather calm and pleasant, the combination of wind and rain alone was enough to stir the typical symptoms of an average cold on his system. He had a massive headache, his body felt like he'd just fallen over the stairs a couple of times and his nose was pretty much useless at the moment.

Well...at least he wasn't hungry anymore.

A piece of paper hit his face abruptly but flew off before he could grab it; he merely watched it dash away and get lost in the distance with a distracted stare. Once he was back in his room, he turned on the T.V. for some background noise and flopped down into the squeaky bed, sighing depressingly.

He'd been on the road for about a month now, and the unhealthy amounts of anxiety he'd been carrying with him were starting to wear him out, both physically and mentally.

He missed practicing, almost as much as he missed his old, eccentric friend — he missed the peace and the clear-headedness working out brought along. It was a great excuse to be left alone and that kind of solicitude was by all means more soothing than the sound of the beach at night.

It also gave him time to think.

About the things he wanted, and those he lacked. Like a house or just space he could rightfully call home. They moved in and out so much in a 12 month period that it was sometimes hard for him to recognize the room that greeted him every time he opened his eyes in the morning.

Most of the time, those were the last thoughts that crossed his mind before he lost himself in the numbing darkness called sleep.

A terrible feeling stabbed his chest all of a sudden, too sharp and real for him to overlook; his eyes grew wide open and his breath hitched in his throat.

...in a moment, everything around him changed.

The air became thick with something dark and cold, and the walls seemed to get closer and taller with every second that passed. The mild light of the bedside lamp deceived him every now and then as shadows crept in and out of the golden-rimmed decorative mirror that hung by the wall in front of him.

Whether they were real or just the aftermath of some repressed hallucination, he didn't know.

Whatever the case, blood refused to pump through his entire body at the horrifying sight.

He didn't know what in the world was going on, but he was somehow sure the paranoia he felt clawing at his gut was there for a very good reason, even if he was all alone in that room. It was like the frustration you feel when you're sure you're being chased without knowing what's behind you.

Something was out there, haunting him from deep inside the shady, swarming alleys of his mind.

The first thing his now alert instincts screamed at him was to run the hell out of there. It sounded like an absolutely intelligent idea, so why didn't his legs respond him?

A smoky shape, darker than the deepest nightmare abyss, shifted and turned by the foot of his bed until, little by little, he was staring right at an impossibly existent human being. The urge to escape intensified and still, his body failed to react. Unable to do anything else, he took in any detail of the figure he could get from his spot on the bed.

That thing, entity or whatever, was wearing a long black cloak made of pure midnight sky, and it was so tall its covered head almost reached the fan. A wrinkled piece of ebony, see-through fabric was draped over its head and shoulders, hiding its face behind a protective screen of shadows.

When he squinted his eyes in order to see through it and make out its gender, what he saw terrified him even more than the way it materialize.

The features in that ethereal face belonged to neither a man nor a woman. Its onyx eyes were almost too big for its head and thin lips and a small pointy nose. The flawless skin was an exotic shade of burnt pink and there was no hair on its face or temples.

He swallowed dryly.

The voice that cut through the dead silence was just as ambiguous as the creature's appearance.

"**It's okay...you can stop breathing now if want to."**

For some reason, as soon as it said those words, a cough-fit ensued and he brought a hand up to his throat, fighting for air. But despite the panic and the conviction in its tone, he refused to choke under the invisible pressure. "No... no, I won't."

Roughly dragging himself out of his own daze, he focused his hard gaze on the evil being and glared at it with all his might, defiance written on his steadfast expression.

But in spite of his strong resolve, anguish quickly seeped in to replace the boldness. "Please, no..." He heard himself whisper pitifully, feeling almost too shocked to believe he was in fact using that tone. Desperation got the best of him and the next thing he knew, he was screaming at the top of his lungs, begging the creature to understand. "It was an accident! I swear, it really was an accident!"

How did it all come down to this? What about his plans, his dreams, the things he could do to make it all better?

...was it really the end?

"_Dad! Dad, look. It's snowing! Can we make a snowman?"_

His eyes snapped wide open at the sound of that childish, somewhat familiar voice so near him, and even if he knew it was beyond impossible, he was sure it belonged to him.

And then he saw the younger version of himself appear out of thin air like his first hallucination, eagerly dragging a black haired man by the hand; this time, he didn't need more than a second to recognize him.

The child ran out of the now open door and got lost in the shadows of the night. The man didn't make a move to follow. Instead, he turned around and smiled right at him when their eyes locked. _"Join us?" _

Fast as it had come, the pressure around his neck faded into nothing more than a bad memory. By the time he turned back to the end of his bed, the evil entity was nowhere to be seen.

Overwhelmed, Aster huffed bitterly and shook his head. Seriously, how could he ever answer that in a proper way? Nothing made sense, anymore.

It was all wrong — the shadows, the hallucinations, his father... It made him absently angry, not being able to either snap out of this bizarre dream or just die like he was supposed to. He ignored all that, anyway.

"I can't..." He glanced up at the man that would forever be his absolute hero and felt a few tears caress his face at all the love and absolution he found in that passive, comforting face he'd missed far too much. The same face he thought he would never see again. "I really screwed up, Dad..."

How could he ever know something like that would happen?

He was young and stupid and it had been the first time he'd tasted alcohol. The first and only because he had stayed as far away as possible from that kind of things ever since then. Driving home just didn't seem that hard or dangerous to him at the time. He honestly never thought he would cause something so terrible.

When he saw what he'd done...when he realized that inside the car he'd crashed into, amongst the smoke and twisted metal, lay the unmoving forms of a man and a woman...

His whole world fell down over his head and smashed into nothing for the second time in his life.

Still deep in shock, he did nothing but watch as the man slowly stirred up and rolled tired, absent eyes towards the motionless body sitting right next to him. The woman's head was turned in the opposite direction and her long, black hair that must've been beautiful and pristine, now dirty and bloody, it covered her face from his horrified stare like a ceremonial veil.

A wounded hand reached out to take a whiter, smaller one into a tight, loving grasp...that was the last thing he saw before panic overcame him and forced him to speed out of there without looking back.

"_Aster, those people...they really don't blame you for anything." _

Huge, blue orbs flew up to meet an even brighter sapphire gaze. "...what?" He glared halfheartedly at the man for not understanding him and growled. "How can you say that?"

Aster knew there was no way his father would lie about something like that, and yet it was still too unbelievable for him to deem it as true. Why wouldn't they? He was a jerk and a coward — _the_ coward that left them there to die alone like that and never came back to take any responsibility, not even when he saw the news and found out he had indeed killed them.

They were important people. The fact that no one noticed him in their memorial service told him that much.

Their names chiseled on stone were all he could see for months. As much as he would've wanted to move right out of that town and forget about it, his sponsors and the jobs they had for him all had something to do with that freaking city.

So the contract he'd signed days before that night forced him to shut the hell up and deal with it.

And just when he'd finally left the memories of that night behind him, he had to go ahead and fall for the very same person the third victim of that accident was in love with. What kind of fucked up coincidence was that?

Chazz Princeton would only be right if he wanted to find him and make him pay for taking his family away. He knew he would, if their roles were reversed.

"_Because they told me so."_

...of course he still couldn't believe it.

But when his old man held out an arm and offered him the same smile he used to welcome him with every time he got back home from school, he could not get to him fast enough.

His father instantly wrapped an arm around his shoulders and brought him closer as he led him out the door. _"C'mon, let's go make that snowman."_

He'd missed the safety only that embrace could infuse in him, so much he could almost feel himself bleeding out on the inside from the ache. In any case, it was the best feeling in the world.

He glanced back for only a second before walking out of that room for the last time.

* * *

Outside the reception room of the motel their tired parents had chosen to stay at, a pair of children waited for them to pay for their room. The oldest brother, who'd just recently turned 12, pulled his 4 year old little sister closer to him, not too keen on letting her get out of his sight for any reason.

She'd been on the verge of falling asleep against her big brother's thigh, but something moving in the second floor quickly caught her attention. A boy — a beautiful boy with shinny silver hair and big blue eyes, he suddenly came out running from one of the rooms, his Dad only a few steps behind him.

The equally pretty man seized the kid up and shifted him in his arms for a more comfortable position, heading for the stairs. The child laid his head on his father's shoulder in apparent bliss and beamed at her the second he noticed her stare, making her blush so furiously she must've looked like a tomato.

She decided to wait until they got down the stairs to return the gesture, but the beautiful boy and his Dad never came down.

* * *

(End of Chapter 22)

Didn't see that one coming, now did ya? If you did...please don't tell me. Let me believe it was an unexpected twist. Anyway, this has got to be the saddest chapter I've ever written. Hope it shows on the story.

If you didn't quite get what caused Aster's death, you're gonna have to wait 'till next chapter. :(


	23. Road To Nowhere

**Summary: (AU fic)** When you suddenly find your life shattered, you learn that love can be found in the most unpredictable places. Takes place through their last year of high school, so if you're looking for a Duel monsters story, this is not for you. ChazzJaden**  
Pairings:** ChazzJaden and one-sided JadenAster, a bit of JesseJaden, but there'll be other pairings as well.

**Warnings:** Disappointing, I know, but no warnings for this chapter.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Yu Gi Oh GX, its characters or **any** of the songs mentioned; **none**.

* * *

Chapter 23  
"**Road To Nowhere"**

"_**I came up to tell him it was fixed but he wasn't there, so I left him a note, right there on his window. I really, truly did! The wind must've taken it away..." **_

"_**The authorities are still speculating about the mysterious case, but given the lack of any incriminatory details in the scene, suicide by carbon monoxide **__**poisoning seems to be the only explanation for the startling death of this well-known, young athlete..."**_

Upset without even knowing why, she turned off the TV and brought a hand up to pacify her heavy heart back to a normal pace. Seeing that kind of frightening stories on the news was getting more and more common; so much so that sometimes, she really didn't want to read the newspapers or turn on the radio or the TV.

Oh, thank God for giving her the best son she could've ever asked for.

Speaking of which...

Yes, it was going to be one long, boring weekend without him, but it would be a nice distraction from everything and his son definitely needed that. No matter where he went, as long as it was with Chazz, she knew her son would be a very happy boy.

She sneaked a glance at the clock and sat down in front of the kitchen counter.

Jaden had been gone for only a couple of hours and she already missed him like crazy.

* * *

(Three hours ago)

At first, he'd thought the whole weekend trip idea had been a spontaneous suggestion, nothing too premeditated — now he wasn't so sure. When Chazz showed up on his doorstep in the morning with a fairly modern blue car full of food and some pillows and CD's sitting on the backseat, it was rather hard for him not to believe he'd been cheated.

Either way, he let his body slump against the doorframe and took sometime to just contemplate the beautiful pain in the ass he'd managed to get a fix on.

The long, dark coat he seemed to love had been left behind in exchange for a tail-less one; the long sleeves were rolled back neatly above the elbow and under the jacket, he could see a black and blue Def Leppard shirt. The most shocking part about his whole appearance was probably the fact that he was wearing a pair of light blue jeans.

They weren't too tight anywhere but they fit him well. And, as usual, his feet were sheltered by his favorite black boots.

He'd never seen that kind of look on him. It was so relaxed yet so much like him, reason enough for him to subsequently love it.

Before he could realize he was staring like an oblivious, crushing little girl, Chazz raised an eyebrow at him and smirked down at the doorstep. That trademark, all-knowing smirk of his, however, was tainted with sheer, poorly-hidden hesitation this time around. "Like what you see, dork?"

He honestly couldn't keep himself from laughing out the way he did at the teasing question. "Absolutely. Where do I sign?"

'_Is it possible to love someone's embarrassment this much?'_ Every time he was able to infuse such color and fire on his friend's pale face, he had to ask himself that same query. The taller teen scowled down at him and averted his dark gaze in the most bashful fashion.

Yep, he was definitely head over heels for this jerk.

—

The slacker's mom said goodbye to them and watched them go with the most serene, pleased smile she could possibly have considering he was taking away her only son and everything...

Oh, well...that family was never a normal one to being with, right?

After almost half an hour of being on the road, Jaden finally turned to him with a curious frown and asked him where the heck they were going. Good, his carelessness was starting to worry him.

"It's kinda far from here so you might as well get some sleep. Don't worry, you're gonna like it. I promise."

He could very much feel the expectation in that auburn gaze as the other studied him for a minute before tilting his head forward. "You're not gonna tell me, are you?"

When he reached out a hand to turn the radio up, silent as a statue, he allowed himself to enjoy the sulk Jaden awarded him with to the fullest.

—

It had been a while since the last time he'd gotten behind a steering wheel, and though he felt a little bit scared of losing control every time he had to take a sharp turn, he was relieved to discover the accident hadn't left him any major traumas.

Fresh, oxygen-filled air poured into the car from the open windows, and he really had to admit he eventually grew very fond of the way it messed with the brown, sun-kissed mane he loved to stick gum into, even if his pride only allowed him to see that out of the corner of his eye.

The sky seemed to be a different shade of blue out in the open, draping over the road with such natural laziness and forming an interesting, dizzying contrast. Judging by the many looks he threw at him, the slacker must've noticed that too.

He sighed contentedly.

'_**...love starts falling down, better change your tune. Reach for the golden ring, reach for the sky! Baby, just spread your wings...'**_

But the thoughts running through Jaden's head couldn't have been any more different.

Quite frankly, he'd been staring at Chazz for almost ten minutes straight. Somehow, he just couldn't suppress the urge to examine every detail he could catch, just to convince himself he wasn't dreaming. It was strange, being in a car with him, watching him drive with such a calm, concentrated expression on his face, black spikes tossing and bending back and forth under the wind's touch.

For some odd reason, Chazz failed to notice the intent look he was receiving, or its true nature, anyway.

'_**We'll get higher and higher, straight up we'll climb. Higher and higher, leave it all behind. Run, run, run away...'**_

—

Sunset had quietly settled upon the firmament by the time the car pulled over at the end of a firm, somewhat uneven road. At the lack of the soft, lullaby-like rumble of the motor and the appeasing movement of the car, Jaden woke up with a small start. "Time to wake up, slacker." He rubbed his eyes to light up his still half-asleep mind and turned to face the older teen, genuinely confused.

The smile he found there stunned him speechless. His attentive gaze only made the grin falter, in any case.

"...what?"

Damn him and his stupid shyness! If he didn't want to be stared at, then he shouldn't make that kind of expressions in the first place, for goodness sake. He answered his question with another question. "Where are we?"

Those lips curled up again, and this time around, it was a true, know-it-all smirk. "Come with me if you really wanna find out."

It was times like these that made him want to smack him senseless for being such a conceited bastard. How could he even say something like that? Wasn't that an obvious question? Hell, the guy could be walking straight into a giant wood shredder and he would still follow.

The entryway of a beautiful, champagne country house begin right at the end of the path they'd come from. The single-story house was amazing, even at night and with all the lights out; however, his ebony haired friend merely walked past it without a second glance.

Once they reached the backyard, he could actually see why.

There was a small cliff a few meters away from the back door, split by a stone ladder that lead straight into a glossy patch of sand, with the back-flipping waves of the ocean breaking rhythmically into the background, all beneath a crystal clear, indigo sky that was covered with diamonds. If he didn't know any better, he'd say that perhaps every single star was out there shinning down at them.

And amongst them of course, the bitten, silver cookie universally known as _moon_ was pinned way high up in the dark heavens.

A warm presence behind him brought him back to reality, and the soft, humming voice that touched his ear served as his unraveling. "So...you like it?"

His honest question sounded so pointless, even to him, but when Jaden turned around with the most naked, thunderstruck expression he could possibly have, he foresaw what was coming next and leaned in to kiss the wide smile as soon as it appeared on the slacker's face.

The moonlight that poured into the brunet's eyes turned their natural color into a rich, dark amber that extinguished the life of about half of his functional brain cells with just one look.

He'd kept his promise.

He knew because Jaden was smiling with his eyes. Smiling at him — he was doing it for him and him only, so he allowed himself to smile back; a full-out, brilliant but shy grin.

And then he laughed, a melody of happiness humming quietly inside his chest, tickling his stomach, his skin. "This is turning into a sappy Brokeback Mountain remake; let's get something to eat."

The brunet merely closed his eyes and shook his head, still beaming. Terrible way to ruin the moment, but the earth would not spin, the sun would not rise and Chazz would not be Chazz if he didn't throw the supernatural feeling between them away with a comment like that.

Besides, the guy had a point there. His stomach _was_ roaring like he'd swallowed a dragon on the way there.

There was a cooler in the trunk, along with enough food to perfectly feed a small family for like a week, so he figured they had plenty of options to choose from for dinner. Since he had no idea what those options were, he let the other make that decision while he picked up some big stones, sticks and kindling for a bonfire.

—

The night was so nice and comfortable. It was windy but not cold enough for a coat, and the crisp, salty breeze the lazy waves blew their way was perhaps more relaxing than a hot cup of cocoa in winter. He grabbed his light jacket from the backseat and turned around just in time to find Chazz behind him, arm stretched out to offer him a dripping can of soda.

He traded the icy beverage for a warm smile. Life was all about contrasts, wasn't it?

The car now sat on the edge of the 7-feet cliff that overlooked the small beach, and the hushed whisper of music coming from the radio kept the mood busy and energetic.

The black haired teen walked past him and without a word, eased himself onto the hood, making a casual gesture for him to get on it, too. He'd never sat on top of a car like that before, and though it'd felt kinda weird as he climbed up, now that his back was laying over the windshield, he discovered it was actually very comfortable.

He took a sip from his soda and closed his eyes, completely in bliss. "I didn't know you could be so romantic, Chazz..."

A few meters away from them, a saucepan filled with soup and shrimp on skewers slowly cooked under the fire's glare.

Unbeknownst to the brown eyed teen, the youngest Princeton wasn't able to fight the lopsided grin that tickled his lips at the innocent comment.

"Shut up, slacker." He grumbled quietly, hoping against all odds that Jaden wouldn't hear the smile on his words.

And the canopy of heaven intimately watched their peculiar exchange of words — heard even the ones that were never spoken. Because sometimes, one look said more than a lifetime of existential conversations under the stars.

Sometimes, a comfortable silence, the kind that was so rare between two people, independently of their relationship, was all it took to reinforce a true, deep bond.

* * *

The next day, he woke up really early in the morning, just a few minutes before Dawn, all crumpled up in the backseat with a familiar black jacket thrown over his back, and despite the lack of space, that had definitely been the best sleep he'd had in years.

'_Wait, where's Chazz?' _

Still kinda groggy and confused, he rolled to lay on his back and sat up. Before apprehension could hurl a steel anvil down into his gut, he realized that what he was looking for was right in front of him, at arm-reach.

Riding shotgun, with the seat leaning back as far as it could and his feet resting over the dashboard, was a completely knocked out Chazz Princeton. His lips were a little parted and his hands lay entwined on top of his lower abdomen, showing just how thorough and adamant he was about keeping his image from becoming much too sloppy, even in his sleep.

And surprisingly enough, this was in fact the first time he caught sight of him like that, lost in slumber. He'd slept in the same room as him, even shared a bed with him once, but he'd never actually seen him sleep. Maybe it was because the older teen, being a light sleeper and an early riser, always fell asleep after him and got up first.

Usually, by the time he woke up, the other was either dressed and in the process of brushing his teeth, or already downstairs making breakfast.

"He must be really tired..."

The sun peered into the car through the halfway-open window and printed a bizarre, magical golden hue onto everything around them.

More importantly, it printed light all over the motionless figure laying mere inches away from him, brushing over his bangs and the sharp angle of his nose in a way that made him want to steal that breathing design of nature and depict it on paper so it could be treasured forever.

The alluring and radiant aura floating around him like some kind of strong cologne was not that much different from the one he'd noticed when they were both standing beneath the hushed moon's stare, and it was still far from equivalent.

Under the stars and full-moon's yellowish glow, Chazz had appeared as stunning as the moon itself, perhaps even more. He was so gorgeous he seemed to be the one shedding light. He turned into a statue, with a pale skin that looked like the finest porcelain, chiseled carefully into perfection.

Under the sun, even asleep, he radiated life, joy and a much more palpable kind of beauty than the gothic and surreal kind of magnificent splendor he acquired in the night. He was still so beautiful, of course, but this was real, not flawless in a ridiculous, almost platonic way.

His mind was at an utter loss since he couldn't really pick a favorite look for him.

Perfect or so alive it hurt to watch...

Worried, Jaden lowered his head and closed his eyes in helplessness. '_I'm so screwed...'_

It scared the hell out of him sometimes...the blind, unconditional adoration he had for the guy. Without him, any thoughts or dreams he had for the future just didn't seem realist enough. The thought of losing him...it made Death seem like a distant, childhood threat. The kind of things parents tell kids to make them obey.

It wasn't even about death, in any case. If he were to know for sure that Chazz would not love anyone like he loved him ever again, he would happily die that very same night.

Yeah, maybe it was selfish and mean and desperate, but he just couldn't help feeling that way. He wanted all of him just for himself, to erase his fears and sadness and share his achievements and smiles — to make him so happy and never ever leave him.

The only thing that could possibly thwart their future together was Chazz's characteristic, oversized paranoia.

That would be the only way...

Still somewhere inside a dream, the object of his musings stirred in his sleep; he frowned and shut his eyes tightly. Those depressing thoughts couldn't be healthy for his head. Chazz was right there, right in front of him, and he wasn't going anywhere anytime soon.

As far as he could tell, his days of running away from his problems were way behind him.

—

It all happened too fast for him to even react...

Those three words, on the other hand, he watched them roll into existence on the other's lips and heard their deep meaning in slow motion.

"I love you."

They'd been eating breakfast so peacefully on the beach and then Jaden turned to him and said that with the happiest, most sincere smile on his beautiful face.

But despite everything, despite the truth, the gorgeous smile and what all the voices inside his head screamed at him, he merely glanced down at his hands and jumped to his feet, faking excessive thirst.

Well, he didn't exactly lie about that; his throat _did_ feel like hot sandpaper.

By the time he came back with two sodas, that special gleam had already disappeared.

The drive back home sure was long. And awkward.

—

"So, uh...I guess I'll see you tomorrow at school, Jaden."

Said teen frowned inquisitively and just stared down at Chazz in a way he had never been able to — the guy's head was hanging low and his tone was quiet, apologetic almost, rumbling deep in his throat in the most uncharacteristic form of remorse, one that was completely uncalled for.

And he called him by his name, as well. Not 'moron', 'dork', or the ever recurring 'slacker', but Jaden.

Something was definitely up. "Hey, what's wrong?" He leaned forward a little and sought out those silver eyes; still, no matter how insistent his prying stare was, they never rose to meet his. So he reached up to lock his fingers around his chin and gently turned his face to make him look at him.

When the black-haired teen refused to so much as blink, he sighed and pecked him on the corner of his lips, accommodating enough to let it slide, at least this once. This time around, the other did look up in surprise, only a bit distracted by the small footsteps that seemed to be approaching them. "Thank you for everything, really, but we're not done here."

Equally keen on abandoning the subject, they both turned just in time to receive the warm welcome they really hadn't been expecting but had been somehow looking forward to.

* * *

Truly fucking unbelievable. That was exactly what this entire situation was to him.

The universe could very much go screw itself, as far as he was concerned. Because seriously, how was that even possible? How could the best weekend ever go horribly wrong like that?

Not knowing if Jaden was in fact mad at him about the whole fiasco that road trip had turned out to be, it was one of the worst feelings he'd ever had to deal with, and _that_ was saying something. All because of his cowardly nature.

He hadn't seen him all day, and now that he finally had the chance to see him in the cafeteria, he noticed his legs could not carry him fast enough.

So today, he was going to lock his pride and unimportant ego inside and forget all about them for the sake of their relationship.

Damn...that word sounded weird even in his head.

'_Focus, Princeton. For once in your pathetic life, just focus.'_

But before he could comply with the plan his hysterical mind proposed and concentrate enough to find his stand, a hand suddenly grabbed him by the arm and pulled him back, through a door that closed itself after swallowing him.

He'd been so distracted and frenzied that the thought of struggling against the hold never crossed his mind. Quite frankly, he didn't mind being touched or manhandled like that, as long as the meaning for such strange occurrence did not stand in his way to find the slacker.

All at once, he was turned around expertly so that he could face whoever had the nerve to treat him like a puppet. Chazz felt his eyes widen slightly when he realized the person who had just abducted him and was currently pinning him against the wall next to the door of an empty classroom was actually the very same moron he'd been searching for.

Jaden was staring up at him with a serious, calm expression that looked _so_ _freaking good_ on his face, and it was so hard for him to admit that one simple look was able to strip him of his intelligence and auto control. "Like I said last night, we need to talk."

Nodding like a lost soul was the only thing he could do after hearing that. One last contemplative, long stare was thrown his way and then he was released.

A fierce, determined fire seemed to shine from within the endless orbs. One that had been there ever since he could recall, became as familiar to him as his own, only it was different. In the way a blue flame from a stove is different to that of a fire-place.

Lit alive by separate means, with the same powerful properties.

And he had to admit that this kind of fire was burning him from the inside out. In this awesome, maddening way that made him wonder if he would even complain about the clammy hands and sizzling face.

"Listen..."

'_Yes, YES Jaden, I'll listen to anything you say or ask of me but __**please stop looking at me like that, for the love of**__**God**__!'_

Desperate as that silent prayer might have been, it was ignored since those cinnamon eyes remained fixed on him. "...what I said that morning in the beach, I..." The brunet grinned kinda sadly, as if he did not mean it enough or was sincerely sorry about his actions, and shrugged. "I meant every word."

And as usual, he struggled with his own words right there and then, in the moment he needed to say something, like the one truth that would fit in and dissolve the problem into nothing but a bad memory. So why couldn't he? The other didn't wait much for a reply. Probably didn't even want one.

"But I guess you already knew that. I told you that the day you came for me, remember?"

Dammit, couldn't the guy notice he was dying to be completely honest, here? Except, whatever he did, the things he wanted _and needed_ to say never left his lips. Jaden traded the calm, curious frown for a sympathetic one and placed a hand on Chazz' chest and leaning forward like he always did just to invoke some eye-contact.

"Chazz...you don't need to say anything back unless you mean it. Not if you're not ready. You know that, right?"

'_Can't you see I _do_ mean it?' _The slacker must've mistaken his frustrated squirming for sheer nervousness. He was straining to get it off his chest and failing miserably every second that passed.

"It's okay, man. I know just how uncomfortable these things make you." A soft, chaste kiss was the only thing that could ever mark a pause in a conversation like that. And he burned in deep sadness as much as he relinquished in the delightful feeling. "Don't worry; I'll wait until you're ready to say it."

And then, with one last kiss, the brunet smiled at him and disappeared behind the classroom door, leaving him speechless, full of words he'd been unable to coax out of his mouth, and so, so very angry, both at himself and at that damned slacker, for being so freaking understanding and perfect.

In the midst of his absolute despair, an unbelievably brilliant idea sparkled into life inside his head.

"Alright..." He whispered breathlessly to himself as he ran his fingers through his hair, for the lack of a better thing to do with his shaking hands. "Time to prove you wrong, Jaden."

—

He and Bastion were in the middle of a nice, comfortable conversation about their tentative, post-graduation plans when Jay finally decided to make his appearance. As expected, the guy claimed his share of fried shrimp and sat down next to him, looking relaxed and cheery and just plain normal.

Strangely enough, he made no effort to join the discussion and simply focused on eating his meal while it was still hot. None of them said anything about the odd behavior, in any case.

Chazz showed up with his trail of food a minute later, but instead of sitting on his predetermined spot besides their British friend, he rounded the table and came to stand behind Jaden, his tray of food left momentarily forgotten in the middle of the clean surface.

So, _naturally_, when the black haired teen suddenly supported himself on the back of his best friend's seat and bent down to kiss him in the lips like it was the most natural thing in the world, the shock that astonished both him and Bastion solid on the spot was nothing short of expected. Understandable, even.

Judging by the look on his face, Jay hadn't been expecting that either.

The taller teen waited for the brunet to snap out of his daze and then, with the most serious, honest tone any of them had ever heard him use, the cocky, proud and tough Chazz Princeton, after kissing another guy no-less, said. "I'd do anything for you, slacker. I love you."

He straightened up, trail in his hands, and nodded towards the frozen, un-breathing forms sitting across them in a deadpanned display of courtesy. "Syrus. Bastion."

And if all of that hadn't been enough to leave a scar on the memories of the entire school population, then the nonchalance with which Chazz sat down and started eating after pulling out something like that definitely did the trick.

Meanwhile, Jaden couldn't help but laugh quietly in his seat, deeply amused by his classmate's desperate antics. He had to admit, that handsome jerk sure had an excellent memory.

"_...bold as you are, I doubt you'd ever kiss me in class or in public..."_

What could he say? Flashy, triumphant entrances were right up the guy's alley.

* * *

Watch as your best friend twists and turns inside his own skin after getting his heart handed back to him in humble rejection is hard enough. But watch as your best friend, instead of accepting the rejection for the sake of moving on, literally tries his hardest just for a the prospect of a second chance...

It was probably harder than losing their friendship.

Whereas Jesse was definitely not one for moping, it took him a while to get back to his usual self. That Jaden boy sure did a number on him.

It had been understandable at first. Why wouldn't it? The guy loved and lost, all in a two-week period. Of course he would be upset.

But then he stopped brooding and started studying. He studied harder than the most dedicated of their classmates and surpassed the top grades in the entire school in no time. Except his reason for such commitment was not self-accomplishment or anything like that.

He asked for extra assignments from the dumbfounded teachers and nailed every single exam; everyone was puzzled. So when the kid requested to graduate from high school earlier than everyone else, Jim could only put the pieces together.

Jesse was bending over backwards just to see Jaden again.

And as the good friend he'd always thought to be, Jim had no choice but to support his friend in anything he could.

(End of Chapter 23)

* * *

What? ***shifty eyes* **I'm known for my intricate chapter endings, aren't I?

Extra points if you know the song those two were listening to on their little trip. This story reached the 100 reviews, and I honestly can't believe that.

Keep telling me how you feel about this, please. Reviews are love. Especially now that the end is rather near.


	24. Stop Crying Your Heart Out

**Summary: (AU fic)** When you suddenly find your life shattered, you learn that love can be found in the most unpredictable places. Takes place through their last year of high school, so if you're looking for a Duel monsters story, this is not for you. ChazzJaden**  
Pairings:** ChazzJaden and one-sided JadenAster, a bit of JesseJaden, but there'll be other pairings as well.

**Warnings:** I don't think you need a warning for this chapter, except for the fact that it's pretty long.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Yu Gi Oh GX, its characters or any of the songs mentioned. Oasis on the title.** Read the chap and then listen to it; it gives it a new meaning**.

* * *

Chapter 24  
"**Stop Crying Your Heart Out"**

Now that everything was as calm as it could get — with the family problems gone and the small issues that came to pass in his peculiar relationship with a certain, beautiful brunet solved — and the stairway towards the future was as clear as the sky, not thinking about the final destination seemed too careless for his liking.

Everyone was so excited about graduation...everyone except for him and the slacker.

Syrus was wavering between a mechanic engineering and law school; both of them were pretty random choices for the guy, but who the hell was he to complain, right? On the other hand, Bastion was more than set on becoming a renowned Chemist.

Jaden and him seemed to be the only ones at a loss. Well, the guy did say something once about traveling around the world until he found something that he really, really wanted to do.

As for him...

There was a particular path he wanted to follow. One that would use every single talent he had and turn it into something good for the community.

He wanted to be a detective.

Overly fantastic and child-like as it sounded, that was his wish. How much he'd have to work to achieve that wouldn't matter in the least because he could be a determined, stubborn son of a bitch when his mind was set on something.

And so could the slacker.

The best part of it all was the fact that no matter what either of them chose, they'd always be around to cheer for each other all the way there.

* * *

They both knew it was inevitable. There was no way around that one hard talk.

His employee days were counted.

Still, when he brought it up after offering his boss a nice cup of her favorite tea, the look Gab shot him...it had to be the epitome of desolation.

He loved his job; it was simply amazing. Dealing with people and handling delicious things and working around in the sweet smell of coffee, in all its forms and flavors.

And Gabriel...

She was like the caring, protective older sister he never really had. Sam didn't count; not because he wasn't actually related to her, but because her attitude towards him wasn't exactly that of a mature, loving person.

In other words, Gab wasn't what you'd call the average boss to him.

He tried to soothe her pain and his by saying they would remain friends and that nothing had to change between them. Only it would. Everything would be different. Even if he visited her frequently, they wouldn't be seeing each other on a regular basis, and just the knowledge that they wouldn't be working together so closely anymore was enough to smash his heart into tiny little pieces.

Sharing a long, equally crushed stare, they both held their breath as he pulled out a ripped face of a cardboard box and wrote '**Help Wanted**' with a black, permanent marker.

—

In all honesty, he never really thought he'd miss tedious, annoying little tasks such as cleaning the tables and mopping the floor. Close as he was to the conclusion of his cleaning career, he couldn't help but notice how much he secretly loved it.

He really wished Chazz would just come through that door and take his mind off depressing subjects. Did that make him a needy girl?

The perky chirping of a bell let him know someone walked in, and doing his best not to build his hopes up too high, he sighed sadly and turned around.

Of course he hadn't been expecting that someone to be standing right behind him when he did, so the discovery kinda startled him a bit. When he met the green-blue eyes fixed so intensely on him and recognition flashed inside his head, he dropped the cleaning tools out of shock and reached out to pull Jesse towards himself.

Who yanked who first, though, only God would know.

"What are _you_ doing here?" He pulled apart a little to look at his friend's face, as if to assure himself he wasn't hallucinating, and could only grunt at the enthusiastic way in which he was forced into yet another tight embrace.

"Hey, I did say I'd visit." They grinned at each other and at Jesse's wide-eyed stare, he found himself powerless against an almost hysterical fit of mad glee.

"This is amazing!"

Not the jerk he'd been expecting, but this sure was a great, cheering surprise.

* * *

It was the hardest thing he'd ever had to do.

There was a heavy mass made of pure lead lodged inside his gut, his throat was so clogged and taunt even breathing was a difficult task and they just wouldn't stop staring up at him with questioning, almost sad looks! It was as if they knew what he was about to do!

He met the pair of dark brown gazes fixed on him and frowned calmly, in what could only be described as his most successful attempt to mirror on the inside the bravery his façade showed.

As much as he wanted to take everything back and simply forget all about the idea, he knew he'd be bound to do it sooner or later. Once he left after graduating, that huge mansion was going out for sale, being much too big for his brother's erratic visits, and without a house to guard, guardian dogs were rather pointless.

Fortunately, he remembered one of Slade's wealthy friends, a thirty-something man who owned a small but pretty popular chain of familiar restaurants, had made an offer for them in the past. He wasn't too convinced of the man's intentions at first, being his oldest brother's golf-buddy and all, but when a kid who didn't look a day past his fifteenth birthday suddenly stepped from behind the man and knelt down to greet his now-former pets, he relaxed if only a little.

It was when those two accepted a pat after further examining the younger teenager that he finally found his peace.

He made it perfectly clear that any abuse or mistreat to those two would only end up in violence and 'accidental' fires, and judging by the way the smirk faded from the man's face altogether, it would seem his intimidating touch was still in tip-top condition.

Far too depressed to do anything else after abandoning those who once upon a time were the only friends he had, he decided to drop by his favorite coffee house for the usual cup and muffin. Maybe flirting with the guy on the other side of the counter would take his mind off things.

* * *

As much as Jaden wanted to stay with him the whole time, a small group of people that seemed suspiciously like foreign travelers suddenly came in and the lovely woman behind the counter obviously needed all the help she could get.

Jesse smiled warmly at the unknowing group.

Whatever the reason for their trip was, he sincerely wished them half the luck he had when he first visited that city. Hopefully, at least one of them would be lucky enough to find something remotely close to the treasure he'd found there.

Even if he knew it was impossible. Jaden was one of a kind.

Twenty minutes later and all the 12 foreigners were already sitting contentedly on the comfortable tables around his, but just when his friend was literally two steps away from him, the front door opened again.

With barely conceived annoyance burning on his features, he rolled narrowed eyes towards the entryway, and felt them widen instantly at the person he found there. Chazz Princeton, was it? Yeah, both the name and face were rather hard to forget. Instead of walking through the door like a regular human being, the guy remained beneath the doorframe, keeping the door open while he checked something on his cell phone; something that made him scowl sourly.

How Jaden could get along with someone like that was sincerely beyond him.

He had nothing against Chazz. Nothing at all, really. So why couldn't he help but to openly glare at him at the intimate way with which his brunet friend rested a hand on the guy's shoulder and leaned forward patiently to make him meet his gaze?

Through the protective veil of chitchat and laughter the group of foreigners offered those two, he was able to hear parts of their conversation, but despite his best efforts, the black haired teen never noticed him or his exasperated stare, visibly peeved himself by the looks of it. "How the hell am I supposed to know? I haven't talked to him in months!"

The aggressive tone he used was more than enough to make Jesse's insides go up in green flames. Just who did he think he was, talking to Jaden like that? Sure, they were friends, but that excuse didn't quite cut it. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't extinguish the anger witnessing such act awoke in him. The other didn't seem to mind in the least. "So what are you gonna do?"

The taller teen averted his gaze out of sheer frustration and shook his head crossly. "Tch...what a fucking bastard..."

"I can go with you if you wan-"

Without pausing to even consider that, the dark haired teen snapped icy gray eyes back to his classmate and spat out a cutting, "**No**."

Not one to quit under any circumstances, the brunet barely managed to squeeze in a _'But-'_, before the other cut him off again.

"I said _no_." As if to emphasize his point, the well-known jerk took a step back, away from the insistent boy; the comforting hand fell back to his friend's side in a silent form of hurt surrender. Chazz looked down at Jaden almost coldly and after a small pause, he had the nerve to add: "I'll call you later."

And then he left, as quick as he'd come in the first place — too quick to notice the pair of upset cinnamon orbs that followed him until he was out of sight.

In the second it took for realization to sink in, Jesse could only gawk wide-eyedly at the other. Suddenly, everything became much clearer for him.

The long stares, the patience, the soft tone...

'_My heart belongs to someone else.._.'

He swallowed thickly. "That's impossible..."

Jaden turned him down...for **him**? Chazz _fucking_ Princeton?

It had to be a cruel, sick joke! They were way too different from each other to uphold a healthy friendship, much less a romantic relationship!

No, that was not the case, here. He was simply making all the wrong assumptions.

...or so he hoped.

* * *

Jagger was already waiting for him outside their house by the time he arrived, which was probably earlier than the older man expected since he eyed him in mild surprise for a moment before nodding, his eyes showing some kind of approbation he really hadn't been looking for.

This would be the easiest thing ever with Jaden by his side, and he almost regretted refusing the guy's kind offer, but not even he was selfish enough to expose him to his brother's unknown intentions just because he wanted some reassurance.

Chazz got out of the car and approached his sibling with an acid, suspicious frown plastered on his face; he didn't even bother starting a conversation. Jagger had been the one who called him and suggested they met there. If anyone had to break the ice, it would be him.

Still, none of them said anything. They just stared at each other with the same amount of expectation in their eyes.

Jagger had never been an expressive, sensitive one. Not even when they were kids. Trying to decode the man's canned, cryptic looks and silences was nothing short of a challenge for a lesser person. But he was not just anyone; he was perfectly able to read the subtle lines hidden on those neutral expressions.

God, years had passed by since the last time his brother gave him that look.

He remembered all too well. He received it after asking him why he had to go away for college, too. Because Slade had already left and had yet to return. College couldn't be a good thing if it separated siblings from each other, so why did Jagger want leave him as well? It was unfair and illogical and so the kid he'd once been had a great thirst for answers.

And he'd gotten that soft stare, instead.

So, against his will and better judgment, he felt his frown and mistrusting stance melt like a rock against a wave of red lava.

No longer angry or resentful at his older brother, Chazz sighed helplessly and walked up to him. "It's okay..." He held out a hand for the man, smirking lopsidedly. "We're good, big bro."

If he didn't know any better, he'd say the other kinda smiled back as he accepted the handshake. But it was impossible. Jagger never smiled.

Perhaps the lousy scrub was more human than he gave him credit for.

—

When he told Jaden about his little encounter with his brother, the happy, almost knowing expression he received from the guy stunned him at first. And then he remembered the slacker was everything but an idiot. If he'd told him he had actually been expecting them to forgive and forget everything from the very beginning, he wouldn't be in the least surprised.

For the first time in his entire life, everything felt just...right. Like he'd finally figured his life out, the way it was all supposed to be.

They headed to the brunet's house after school like they always did, walking side by side in between jokes and everyday-talk or even a peaceful silence. The sweet scented air of the slacker's home would greet them before anything else once they arrived and then they would sit down to enjoy Leyla's amazing cooking and motherly details.

It was pretty much all the same, every day, and yet he found there was nothing he would change about that routine in the slightest.

And maybe that was exactly why he didn't expect the tide to change from white to blue like that, so cruelly, too sudden.

Because even if the pleasant walk, the sweet air and Leyla's disarming smile all happened as usual, the moment he set a foot past the doorframe and found a pair of familiar aquamarine eyes he'd wished to never see again, staring up at him with calculating expectance from the personal couch he'd chosen to be his favorite, he could feel the atmosphere wither around him despite his handsome face and enjoyable personality.

Chazz's advance came to a dead end, and so did the beat of his heart and his breathing rhythm; he could only deflect the other's stare with wide, lost eyes.

"Oh, there you are, boys." The gorgeous woman turned back towards their visitor and grinned fondly, gesture that was more than returned. "Jesse and I were just swapping travelling stories." She giggled a little and stepped back to let the two friends greet each other properly.

Unaware of his frozen, devastated state, Jaden went ahead and welcomed his long-lost pal fully, smiling like a child as he wrapped an arm around the older teen's neck and brought him close to himself.

"Remember the time we lost your father in the airport? Everyone was waiting for us, so we really needed to get on that plane right away, but you just looked at me and sat down on the floor like a small, stubborn rock, and _nothing_ in the world could ever make you budge! I swear, you two were inseparable."

The brunet joined his mother right after she started laughing and shrugged, his gaze still locked with Jesse's. "We lost the plane, of course, but it was definitely worth it..."

"Worth it? Jaden, he just bought you an ice-cream! You call that worth it?"

"Yeah, best ice-cream ever!" The foreigner boy laughed out loudly and leaned on his best friend shoulder to keep himself from doubling over, and the open action made the youngest Princeton wonder who exactly was the outsider, here.

The slacker leaned into the other and glanced down at him with an affectionate smile.

And just like that, very much like a paper ball consumed by fire, Chazz's world crumbled and burned right to its core catastrophically.

* * *

He never took the time to get to know what kind of person he was last time he was there, but now that he actually sat across from him on the dinning table, Chazz Princeton was proving to be a rather strange guy.

His reaction when he saw him sitting there with Jaden's mother...

His expression had been the embodiment of insecurity. Even if he didn't know him that well, he knew him enough to tell that doubtful was not a common look for such an imposing, arrogant guy. And it didn't take genius to realize he was the only cause for that. He'd stared at him like he was the reason for every single bad thing in the world or something like that.

They hardly knew each other, and he was pretty certain his appearance or personality was not intimidating or unpleasant enough to make him feel that way. _'Unless...'_

Unless he considered him a potential threat.

He really had to wonder what'd given Chazz that idea. Last time he checked, he was the one Jaden had chosen.

"So, Jaden..." The green-haired boy pushed his spaghetti-braided fork past his lips and offered his oblivious friend a blasé, sideways glance. "What are your plans? You know, once you graduate and all that?"

The change in Chazz' demeanor was subtle and too professionally hidden to be perceptible; the sings, however — like the alteration in the pattern he used to cut up his food or the stiffening of his back — they had no place to hide from awaiting, prying eyes. Somehow, for some odd reason, Jesse had the slight suspicion that the tall teenager knew exactly where the conversation was leading to.

They shared a brief, calculative glance and returned to their respective plates.

Jesse's not-so-innocent question seemed to catch Jaden off guard, since he stumbled on his words more than once. "Me? Oh, I…uh..." The brunet eyed everything there was to see on the table before smiling uncertainly, his fingers coming up to scratch his neck out of nervousness. "I really don't know yet. I guess I might take a year or two off school, maybe travel around a bit. You know, just...stand on my own feet and fool around while I still can."

Out of the corner of his eye, he was able to pick up the sudden halt of a sharp jaw as the young jerk across him stopped chewing and breathing completely. He was the only one who noticed, apparently, but he decided to ignore it and nodded in support at the other's idea instead. "Real smart choice, if I may say so myself. Now or never, right?"

It was right then and there, after such threatening question, that Chazz' resolve gathered entirely to focus on one goal.

He was going to do everything he could possibly think of just to protect his relationship with the slacker.

* * *

Now that they were less than a week away from graduation, he found he couldn't help but to lose himself in the possibilities Jesse's straightforward question had made him consider.

What would happen to him and Chazz afterwards? Would their bond remain the same?

Or would they go their separate ways, like him and Gab?

He winced at the sharp wrench his chest gave at the notion. Of course not.

The idea of taking a trip around the world only came up because none of them seemed to be able to make up their mind about the future. Even if he didn't find something for himself, his vocation or whatever, he would happily let go of his crazy dream and stay put if Chazz happened to find that first.

Anything was more than perfect for him as long as it meant they would stay together.

And while nothing sounded quite as good as living with Chazz, he honestly had no idea how the other would react to that particular suggestion.

"Well...we'll cross that bridge when we get to it, I guess."

* * *

With everything that had been going on lately, the unexpected visits, the arrangements and stressful decisions they both had to make, they never really stopped to consider exactly how sad and hard the graduation ceremony would be. To think that was the last day they'd be spending there...

Memories flooded in like a blood rush to the head. Swift, dizzying...painful in a cold way.

That place had given them all so much. Wisdom, lessons, pains, good times, bad times...

Those were the glory days. The times no one really appreciated; not until they were gone. Left behind for coming generations to inherit.

As a result of an ambitious project run almost completely by the head of the student board, Alexis Rhodes, a wide, thick cardboard wall was raised just outside the main gates, facing the doors so that it would be the very first thing everyone saw once the ceremony at the great, inner auditorium was over.

Hundreds of pictures painted the massive wall like a one-of-a-kind, colorful and living wallpaper that ripped smiles and tears from countless faces.

Almost a thousand photograph moments picked out of millions.

One showed Bastion Misawa and Chazz Princeton, with their coal-black faces and big white grins moments after the small explosion that left the laboratory unfit for any kind of learning activities for over a week, all because of a cooperative experiment gone wrong.

Another displayed a rather unlikely event. There in the middle of the picture stood Dr. Vellian Crowler, looking all haughty and elegant like always, one long arm stretched out to curl around the shoulders of his most difficult student, Jaden Yuki, who despite his reputation, ended up being the only one who aced the final exam of the man's subject in its entirety.

The brunet's smile was so wide and enthusiast it border-lined mad-bliss as he held his exam up proudly for everyone to see.

Syrus Truesdale starred another frame amongst many. It was a simple but beautiful snapshot of him and his new girlfriend, a gorgeous, petite blonde who had the prettiest set of freckles and a pair of large sapphire-blue eyes. **(1)**

Jaden and Syrus' not-so-accidental incident with the ink in art class, Alexis' crushing victory over Bastion in the girls-against-boys sports competition, Chazz' amusing, vindictive prank on the newest addition to the teaching staff, the young and reckless John Huntley...

Some scanned the wall, merely looking for their own faces and left once they'd revived enough memories; some others stared at it until sundown.

* * *

Never in their wildest dreams did the idea of John and Gab getting together cross their minds, so watching them talk and flirt had been just as frightening at it had been fascinating.

The gray-eyed teen sneered. "Did you see the looks they were throwing each other? Something tells me Johnny boy will be getting some _**ton-ight**_."

He'd only said that to get a rise out of the dork, so when the guy shut his eyes and scrunched his face up in the most adorable display of embarrassment and disgust, he roared with laughter. "Aw, man, SHUT UP! She's like a sister to me!"

If anything, the taller one only cackled harder. After swimming a while in the feeling of blissful high only a good laugh could bring, he shook his head. "Come on."

Pleased beyond belief, he took the brunet's hand in his own and led him away from the already watered-down crowd until they reached a rather isolated tree. It was old and thick so he didn't think twice about his actions and turned the other around smoothly just to pin him back against the sun-heated bark.

He kissed the slacker hard and slow. A few minutes later, they broke apart, him with a soft hum and the slacker with a faraway, content sigh. Chazz opened his eyes and backed away a little, more than intent on staring into those butterscotch eyes until dusk crept in around them; however, the black limo he saw out of the corner of his eye stole his attention completely.

Slade and Jagger. How typical of them to be so freaking inconvenient.

"I should go." He grumbled sullenly, arms linking around his beautiful catch in an almost possessive manner. "See you later."

The other merely nodded against his chest. "Ok."

"...I really have to go now." Jaden nodded again and made a move to pull away only to discover it was actually the youngest Princeton who refused to release him. He raised an eyebrow.

"Uh...Chazz?"

"I should go now." The phrase had left his lips for what seemed like endless times, but he still tightened his grip on the slacker instead of loosening it. "It's not like I'm going on a vacation or something like that. I'm gonna see you again in a couple of hours."

He buried his nose on that soft, coffee scented hair and planted a harsh yet sweet kiss on the top of the brunet's head.

"So why can't I let you go?" Their bodies were as close as possible, almost melded together into a mess of shaky limbs and unsteady heartbeats.

It was the most frustrating and also the most amazing thing he'd ever live to witness.

"Stupid slacker..."

A smile parted his and Jaden's lips at the raspy tone in his voice. It was an interestingly confusing mixture of affection, longing and half-hearted anger that only he could accomplish — one of those Chazz Princeton trademark things.

After a firm stand from his younger classmate and a literal push in the right direction, the black haired teen finally walked away to meet his brothers and the brunet merely watched him go, too pensive and distracted all of a sudden.

His chest felt weird. It ached in a way he was sure he'd experienced before.

Before he could place his finger on the exact occasion, though, something caught his eye from a distance.

It was Jesse. He was standing on the wide, glass doors that led straight into the cafeteria, and judging by his relieved expression and slumped shoulders, he'd probably been standing there, trying to grab his attention for a while now. He jogged towards him without a second thought.

* * *

"So, it's settled, then?" He asked rather quietly, shifting his gaze from one man to the other. The oldest of the three nodded and held out the papers he'd been looking forward to receive for over a month. "Thank you."

The charismatic politic simply nodded again and averted his gaze, clearly not agreeing with his little brother's bizarre antics. "I would say this move of yours surprised me, but then I'd be lying. You're your father's son, after all."

It was definitely the best compliment Slade had ever, and probably _would_ ever say to him, so he accepted it with a satisfied smirk. "Damn straight, brother."

* * *

When he went back to look for the slacker to tell him the good news, he was kinda taken aback to find he wasn't with his family or his friends. It worried him a little more than he would've liked to admit, so he asked if anyone had seen him.

Neither Syrus nor Bastion were able to give him a conclusive answer, but they were kind enough to offer their help to find him. They wandered around in the garden just outside the main gates; without knowing why, he decided to go look for him inside the building. The guy couldn't have gone too far, so it shouldn't take long to find him.

And it didn't.

Walking down the deserted, quiet hallways, the two hushed voices entwined in what seemed to be a distressing conversation were easy to pick up, and even recognize.

"_No, no, just...let me finish, please." _

"_Okay."_

He located the source immediately. An empty, open classroom that was halfway to the cafeteria.

_"I'm sure it's love, and not the 'I wanna hold hands with you' kind. More like the 'I would die for you in a sec' kind of love."_

The words, the voice, the tone...the combination was too fatal for his mind, so unbelievable and tangible that he found it real hard to keep it from driving him insane. Instead of snapping, he felt the blood and air leave him as he froze rock-hard on his feet.

_"Does that mean...is that a yes? Are you gonna do it?"_

_"I don't know, Jesse. What am I even supposed to tell Chazz? Shouldn't I wait for the right moment? What if he flips out? Sratch that; he will flip out."_

_"Aw, c'mon. everything will be fine, I promise." _The rustling of fabric that followed sucked the energy out of the black-haired teen, his legs growing weaker and weaker by the second. Utterly lost, he let his body fall back to lean on the wall behind him heavily. _"Now or never, right?"_

The brunet laughed, and Chazz could almost see him nod cheerfully through the beige wall. _"Now or never." _

"No..."

"_Besides, you know the guy. Cocky as he may be, he's still a terrific guy."_

This time around, the reply came instantly. _"Yeah. Yeah, he is. Best I've ever met...Alright, I'll go tell him. Wish me luck."_

If Jaden had walked out of the classroom a second earlier than he did, he would've most likely seen the person he loved more than anything else in the world shuffle into the nearest open door with a stealth and smoothness that rivaled that of a night shadow.

* * *

Love is never easy. Or perfect.

It's not always real. It never makes sense.

It's unbelievable...amazing.

He sighed.

There he was, practically broke **and** broken, left behind by his best friend and burning crush, who had somehow managed to find someone better deserving of his unconditional love while he'd been away, trying to find his way back to him.

He'd never felt so alone and stupid in his entire life...but he also never felt so proud of himself.

Jaden wanted to be happy, and so did Jesse. He wanted him to be happy because he deserved much more than that, and because he loved him too much to be selfish enough to stand in his way.

Chazz Princeton had to be a really remarkable and simply great guy to be on the receiving end of such devotion — to be the one who held Jaden's heart.

He sighed and whispered the words running through his mind. "What an honor..."

"Likewise."

The low, gruff voice that retorted was so somber and dull he couldn't help the chocked scream that came out of his lips, or the violent flinch that almost threw him out of his seat. He swallowed the thickness as well as he could and turned around slowly. "Chazz."

Silver, knife-like eyes pierced through him in what was undoubtedly the hollowest attempt at a glare, examining him closely in a way that made his skin crawl in fright.

Whatever the case, he masked his senseless fear and walked up to the other with his best nonchalant expression, considering the circumstances. "Jaden's looking for you, there's something he wants to-"

The words died down in his lips the second a pair of strong hands flew out and grabbed the front of his shirt, quick as lighting. Before he could even react, he found himself nose to nose with the taller teen.

Poison.

Pure, scalding poison. That was the only way he had to describe the sound that slithered past those pale lips, the tone a mere hiss. "I know that."

If Chazz' eyes had been intense and startling before, then they were definitely burning coals now. His heart resisted every beat that his brain requested at the sight of them alone. He pushed the other away out of sheer apprehension, 'struggle' the only plan his alarmed mind could propose.

Not the best suggestion, though, since it earned him the hardest blow he'd ever received in his entire life. The cold fist smashed into his cheek in a powerful swing, and judging by how far it sent his consciousness out of his body, Chazz hadn't held back in the slightest.

He fell back and barely managed to keep himself on his feet by resting his hands on the teacher's desk.

"I won't say I didn't see this coming...because I did." The older teen threw his head back and laughed breathlessly, arms spread out to the sides. "I knew something like this would happen and I still went ahead with it! That was part of your little mind-game from the very beginning, wasn't it?"

Somewhat disoriented still, Jesse turned back to the fuming young man, aquamarine eyes narrowed in confusion. "Chazz, what are you-"

Again, an angry fist shot out to shove his words back into his throat. This time around, he didn't just take it. He swirled back around to take a swing at the other, but only managed to slash through an empty space despite his confidence and best efforts.

For some reason, he had the chilling feeling that even if he hit him squarely on the face with all his might, it wouldn't stop or slow him down at all.

The unsuccessful punch only seemed to fuel Chazz' fury. A swift, strong hook drove the wind right out of his lungs and a knee came up to stab his already abused gut just as he doubled over. He grunted and took a few steps away from his foe.

Through a crimson mouthful, he gasped out. "Stop...you're wrong...Jaden-"

But explanations were the last thing Chazz seemed to want, for he ate away the distance between them in a single leap and backhanded him across the face.

Hard.

In a second, they both lunged at each other. Tangled in a shaky muddle of flying limbs and uncoordinated attacks as they were, they failed to notice the two teenagers that ran into the classroom to pry them apart.

"Enough, already!"

If anything, it only made the black-haired teen madder, and his screams added up to the lightheaded sensation in Jesse's head. "Things were fine, WE were fine! And then you just had to come back and take Jaden away from me, **again**!"

"Guys, GUYS STOP IT!"

"You took away the only good thing I had left! And you know what's the funniest part about all this? DO YOU?"

Once they'd separated them enough from each other, Syrus latched onto Jesse and, despite having to use up all of his energy, Bastion eventually succeeded in dragging Chazz away from the bleeding foreigner, too. Instead of struggling against the hold until his arms popped out of their sockets like he'd expected him to, the fire-ball in his arms stilled and fell silence all at once, and the British teen didn't waste another second, well-aware of the other's unpredictability.

He led the strangely cooperative form away from his intended target and glanced up into those stormy eyes, desperately trying to figure out what exactly was going through the other's head at the moment. With all certainty, he could very much swear he'd never seen the guy look so lost and devastated before. His gaze was misty as it remained fixed on Jesse.

"I...I don't even hate you for it." He said that like he didn't even believe it to be true, or wanted to, anyway. "I give up...you win."

The whole room slowed to a stand-still at those words.

Equally shocked and confused, Bastion and Syrus could only stare at their friend with wide, incredulous eyes. In a panting, trembling voice, the gray eyed teen carried on.

"Just...please...tell him I need to speak with him...there's something I need to ask him. Please...I won't bother you after that, I **swear**."

The shaky tone was miserable yet burning with determination; the words that answered him, however, were cold and sickened. "Why? So you can hit him too?" Jesse shook his head no repeatedly in an unconscious gesture. "I don't understand what Jaden saw in you. You're pathetic..."

Chazz had been about to answer to that, completely unimpressed by the other's cruelty, but an enraged hiss cut through first. "Hey! Don't talk to him like that!"

Both he and Jesse shot the short teen a wide-eyed, confused look, and though no one noticed, Bastion seemed just as furious as Truesdale. Either way, the outsider ignored the threat and returned his whole focus back to his rival. "He started it! Besides, it's not like I'm lying. He's-"

"That's enough!"

This time around, it was Bastion who spoke.

"I don't care who started it," He snarled firmly, gesturing with his hand to whoever he was talking about. "One more word from you and _I_ will pick up right where he left off!"

Chazz had been so still in his arms that when he suddenly straightened up and moved towards the door on steady feet, everyone else in the room was startled into silence. His eyes were hidden beneath his rebellious spikes as he turned back a little from his place under the door-frame.

"Please, tell him I'll be waiting at our place. He knows where."

By the time his friends reacted and scrambled after him, the youngest Princeton had already disappeared into thin air.

* * *

He looked everywhere, but couldn't find a single trace of his favorite jerk. The idea of even looking for him there seemed crazy and senseless now that he'd slowed down to think a little. He'd probably left with his brothers or something like that.

Or maybe it was the universe saying he really should wait a little longer before putting such a bold suggestion on the table.

Either way, he went back to get Jesse before they left. He didn't have to look much since he spotted him the second he stumbled into the hallway.

When he walked closer only to notice the dark, forming bruises and blood hiding under his friend's palm, his smile and spirt fell completely.

"Holy crap, are you okay?" He ran all the way to the bleeding teen's side and forced his hands away from his face to examine him, wincing at the marks and even more blood he discovered. They stumbled into the nearest lavatory with an almost dangerous clumsiness. "Wh-what happened to you?"

The answer he got chilled him to the bones as much as it outraged him, and he stilled as soon as he heard it. "Chazz did."

"What?" His own voice seemed to echo distantly inside his head. "He...did?...why?"

Although he knew Jesse wouldn't lie about something like that, he still found it hard to believe. Because hostile and short-tempered as he was, he knew it was unlike Chazz to really get physical about anything unless he was either joking or being protective of someone he cared about.

At the lack of reply, he tried again, firmly this time. "Jesse, what happened?"

Meanwhile, the European teen was at a crossroads. What could he do? If he ignored the request his rival had made and failed to pass the message on to Jaden, the brunet would most likely end up hating him for his selfishness once he found out about it by other means; on the other hand, if he did tell him the truth, there was a good chance Chazz would refuse to hear any explanations and beat him up out of blind despair.

Lying to Jaden would've been easier and safer for him, but that wouldn't be right. It wasn't his call to make and he knew it.

He shook his head, his whole body throbbing and trembling with the pain the small motion caused. "Long story. He said there's something he needs to talk to you about."

The cold, wet paper towel his friend had been using to dab the blood away from his split lip fell down to land on the faucet. "Did he even say where or when?"

His tone was firm and indignant, like a powerful warning that wasn't even aimed at him and still made him feel apprehensive; whether it was because he feared for his friend's integrity or for the black-haired teen, he wasn't too sure.

One thing was certain. If there was anyone Chazz would listen to, frenzied state or not, it was definitely Jaden.

_'Hold on...what _did_ he say?'_ It had been five freaking minutes ago and he still had trouble remembering what the other had said. Maybe the guy had hit him harder than he'd initially thought. He racked his brain for the exact words but his memory resisted.

"...oh, yeah! He said he would be waiting for you back at his place. Didn't say when, though."

Feeling more confused and pissed off than he ever had, Jaden pondered those words carefully. Nothing about Chazz made any sense to him at the moment. He'd be back home, waiting for him? The guy didn't even like hanging around in his house more than he had to, so why the sudden change?

They usually meet in quiet, calm places, like the park or at the coffee shop; sometimes, the other would simply swing by his place to pick him up or just hang out there.

So not only did he beat Jesse up for no coherent reason, he also used him to pass stupid little messages that should be private? Last time he checked, they were not in high school anymore — or girls.

And he failed to mention at what time they would be meeting, too, which translated to Chazz-esse could only mean _right about now_.

He had no idea what the other wanted to talk to him about, but he sure had a lot of explaining to do.

* * *

Night was descending on the town ever so slowly, and he knew daylight was outstaying its welcome just to lead him safely to his destination. The woods roared as a fresh wave of wind washed over the crown of the tall trees, picking up screens of dust that blew his spirit out like a birthday candle every time.

But even if nature played its sonata for him, he could hardly hear it through the electric clutter in his head.

Static.

Was that what misery sounded like?

Now that he'd cooled down enough to think rationally, he actually felt bad about beating Jesse black and blue like that. Even if Sissy-boy was an asshole the asshole that'd taken Jaden away from him — not to mention hitting him had given him the best feeling ever, punching his lights out wouldn't make any difference.

He could beat him to death and it still wouldn't change the fact that the guy simply returned to claim back what was originally his.

A stale chuckle left his lips.

He remembered the first time Jesse showed up far too well. The slacker was obviously smitten. They both were, and they didn't even bother hiding it.

And to be completely honest here, he'd always thought he was better for Jaden than he could ever be. Because he would never mock his feelings out of denial, or use any kind of negative tone with him just because he'd let anger get the best of him.

Yes, he knew the moron was in pretty good hands, and that made him feel terribly grateful.

So...what was he doing there, then?

_Why? So you can hit him too?_

Anxiety crept in.

In his mind, he saw himself sinking his fists into Jaden's face as vicious and hard as he'd done with Jesse, and the mere image was enough to make his body shudder almost violently. The comment alone had scared him out of his wits like nothing had.

He would never hurt the slacker like that. Never. And he never had either. They wrestled and grappled a few times in the past; he even liked to take both him and the shrimp down singlehandedly sometimes (it wasn't his fault, Syrus seemed to like butting into other people's business) but it was way different than this.

There was no anger. No despair or burning hate.

But...what if he did hurt him? What would he do if Jaden happened to show up right there and then? The only answer he got from his mind was a huge, blurry blank space, and it worried him.

Two hours had already passed and the guy was still nowhere to be seen.

Well..maybe it was for the best.

His feelings, twisted as they were, they were anything but fake. Through the entire time they spent together, every word, every look...it was more real than the night time sky.

That was all he'd wanted to tell him.

Then again, he knew Jaden _knew_ that.

Without really understanding why, Chazz shut his eyes tight and sighed. By the time he turned up to bore his gray gaze into the indigo sky, the sinking feeling in his chest had increased about tenfold. "Letting someone you love more than your own life go...that's gotta be true love...right?"

Funny thing was, he would've said the exact opposite a few months back — he was absolutely and painfully certain of that fact. So, what changed? Surely not him; he was still the same selfish bastard he'd been back then. What was so different this time?

Only it hadn't been him or Jaden that changed, but the bloody, beating bond between them.

Love was such a beautiful thing, he thought dazedly. So beautiful in fact, that he could not believe he had made it that far in life without feeling something at least remotely close to it before.

Without the fleeting bliss and the unexpected rushes and even the pain. The pain that despite being heart-ripping intense, was more than worth it once everything had been said and done and there was nothing more to do but look back in remembrance.

He was letting the best thing he ever had go for something that, although not for him, was better in the end.

Another pang even deeper shook him, bringing more memories back; he remembered himself telling Jaden he had never loved anyone the way he loved him, enough to be more than willing to do and give anything for him, the words feeling so right and good on his chest because it had been the most honest truth to ever leave his lips.

For Jaden's sole happiness, he would give his very life if it came down to that.

And since he was a man of his word...that was exactly what he did.

Long, shaky yet confident fingers slipped inside the pocket of his jacket and pulled out his cellphone.

The slacker taught him so many things with his smile alone. By being always kind to him no matter what, he showed him that people who were loyal and loving and helpful did exist.

He learned that those special people were called friends and that if he managed to find at least one, he shouldn't take his luck for granted. He had to look after them and protect them and do just about anything to keep them.

And it made him realize how empty and horrible his life had been before the one tragedy he let defeat him touched his life.

Before he lost everything and gained a true friend. Someone who, unlike everybody else, really liked him and never judged him or his motives.

And now he had the opportunity to return the favor. He would love Jaden no matter what, put his friend's happiness before his and he'd live with his decision for the rest of his life.

This time around, he would not give everything up after a loss.

No, he was going to follow the slacker's example. He would move on.

The small, gray device was placed carefully on the flat rim that also served as a handrail. He glanced back at the beautiful, pale stone bridge that had granted him a second chance and truly looked at it one last time before leaving.

* * *

His heart had never paced half as fast as it currently was, that much he was sure of. It jumped up and down inside his ribcage as he ran for his life.

He was so scared. Like he'd never been in his entire life, so much so that his head hurt and his legs failed to respond every now and then, but he still kept going. Right now, finding Chazz was the only thing that really mattered for him.

He'd waited for him outside the huge mansion for little more than an hour before sneaking inside through the hole in the tall wall Chazz himself had unknowingly showed him the night they met. The lack of a pair of very big, very protective dogs confused him, if only a little.

But it was definitely the lack of furniture in the entire house that startled him into a deep, blank silence as soon as he walked in through the unlocked main door. Not wanting to trust his eyes, he ignored the distracting thump of his heart caught up on his throat and rushed upstairs.

When he slammed the door to the familiar, pitch black room open and found nothing except for a couple of plastic-covered pieces of furniture, he had to grip the door-frame to keep himself from falling flat on his face. Somehow, he didn't have to go through the drawers in the closet to know they were completely vacant.

He ran out of the empty house and headed straight to the coffee shop he no longer worked at. Since it was closed and not a single soul was nearby it for some reason, he dashed in the opposite direction again, now down to his last option.

By the time he reached the bridge, he was too winded, tired and frightened to stand straight anymore.

His hands were shaking cold as he rested them on the edge of the bridge, far too disorientated to make hear or tails of anything at all. Eyes shut, the brunet considered his options.

"Alright..." He whispered, sweeping his palm over his sweaty face. "I'm officially fresh out of ideas..." Perfect. What the hell was he supposed to do now?

More importantly, what the hell was wrong with Chazz?

The first thing he saw when he opened his eyes was the dark, clamshell phone sitting next to his right hand, and the realization that it was in fact the cellphone of the person he'd been looking for so desperately froze his blood into heavy clots in a second.

Chazz had been waiting there on the bridge for him all along.

He'd probably missed him by minutes.

Feeling alone and lost like he hadn't in years, Jaden barely registered falling down to his knees onto the dusty ground; he rested his forehead on the cold rim and laid there until he had no more tears to offer to the night.

—

Days went by like that. His soul was crushed and he knew his body was running on drive and longing alone, but he still kept looking for Chazz anywhere he could. Luckily, his stepfather managed to get him the address of Slade Princeton's office.

However, no matter how long he waited or how many times he asked, the tall man refused to let him up, much less hear him.

One day, he told the receptionist he wouldn't go anywhere unless the politician agreed to meet him. Apparently, though, threats were not the way to go with such a proud man, and he got kicked out before he could even finish his statement.

Still, he never stopped going.

As much as he wanted to be consistent enough to get his point across, his mother's health had been kinda dwindling lately, so he missed his 'appointment' that day. They talked and joked all morning, and he only left her bedside to grab something to eat in the late afternoon.

He sat down in the kitchen table with a cup of coffee and decided to wait until the hard, cold feeling in his chest dissolved at least a little bit before going back upstairs with his mom.

Caressed by the lazy, golden glow of the sunset light that crept into the window above the sink, he could barely afford a single thought.

When the pain's just too deep that crying doesn't heal anymore, so utterly strong it cannot be drained away in the form of salty drops, What's next?

What was there for him to do about it?

Grief - silent and deadly - prickled on his eyes, and he wondered dazedly if there was even an amount of tears he had yet to cry in order to stop feeling so damn horrible, or to just feel anything else for that matter.

That night, as he sat in silence next to his mother's bed with his fingers entwined in hers, he felt her hand squeeze his a little and then go lax. She passed away right before his eyes.

And the only thing he could think of while he caressed her soft hand was the promise Chazz had made to him the day he got caught under the rain. The day he found out his mother might leave him sooner than any of them had ever expected.

He'd broken his promise.

And nothing else mattered.

(End of Chapter 24)

* * *

I can't believe this story is finally coming to an end. Just one more and the prologue and we're good to go.

**(1)** Who do you think that is? Anyone who guesses correctly will get a preview of next chapter. :)


	25. Bringin' On The Heartbreak

**Summary: (AU fic)** When you suddenly find your life shattered, you learn that love can be found in the most unpredictable places. Takes place through their last year of high school, so if you're looking for a Duel monsters story, this is not for you. ChazzJaden**  
Pairings:** ChazzJaden and one-sided JadenAster, a bit of JesseJaden, but there'll be other pairings as well.**  
Warnings:** This one's a really heavy and long chap, so be warned. This is what you might call the climax of this story.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Yu Gi Oh GX, its characters or any of the songs mentioned. Since we're going out with a bang, that's my favorite song in the entire world on the title, and we all have Def Leppard to thank for that.

* * *

Chapter 25  
"**Bringin' On The Heartbreak"**

December was definitely not one of his favorite months. In fact, if he had a choice, he would choose not to have another one for as long as he lived. Asides from the biting weather, the hardly welcomed mornings and the collective grouchy mood, it also made the small, smelly apartment he lived in practically uninhabitable.

As if the rent was getting any easier to pay with the lousy wage of a rookie cop.

And on top of all that, it seemed that day wouldn't be any different from the rest. He reached out to pushed the wooden door that led to the training lockers open; however, it stopped sliding under his nearly slack, crestfallen weight when it was halfway open.

He'd been about to write it off as some misplaced desk or chair, which wasn't all that unusual in there, but then he saw a set of seemingly long fingers clutching the rim in a firm grip. Before he could do as his curiosity suggested and peek in, whoever was behind it pulled it all the way open first, so fast he had to keep himself from stumbling forward.

His heart jumped in a pleasant, merry way at the sight of him alone, and a smile seized the muscles of his face right away. Seeing him there, or anywhere at all, was such a rare occurrence he knew it was safe to assume his day had just gotten the nice start he'd been praying for.

Disciplined like always, especially around authority figures, he straightened up and nodded at his superior. "Sir."

A warm smile was thrown his way as the other nodded back and countered in his usual nonchalant style. "Morning, Hassleberry."

And just like that, the protocol was discarded for the tone of a real friendship.

"Leaving already?" Discouraged as he was, he didn't even bother hiding his disappointment about the other's departure.

The older man averted his gaze, probably foreseeing what was coming like the sharp guy that he was, his grin knowing and relaxed by the time he turned back to him. "That was the idea, yeah; you're...kinda blocking the exit, though."

That he was. And they both knew it, so when he threw out a loud, unabashed laugh, the other was quick to follow. "Aw, c'mon, stay a while. Let's have a friendly spar, what do ya say?"

"Yeah, as friendly as World War II..." His superior laughed light-heartedly and shifted his way to his other foot. "No, it's too early for that. Besides, there's a huge pile of paperwork that I need to take care of before the morning is over..."

He hummed and raised an eyebrow, unable to fight the smirk that appeared on his face or the mocking tone that came with it. "Is that really so, or are you just afraid I might kick your ass again?"

Still, regardless of their confidence and spite, his words were nothing but a ridiculous bluff used just for the sake of coaxing him into agreeing.

Headstrong, smart and fast, the man in front of him was truly a force to reckon with. Of all the many times they'd spared, he'd only managed to defeat him a few times, and that was saying a lot, considering he was 6-feet tall, weighed almost 200 pounds and had enrolled fresh off of military school.

What he had in strength and muscle, the other had in intelligence and speed.

As expected, their little practices just as fun and challenging as they were famous around the district. In fact, whenever he managed to persuade him into that entertaining game of pride, there was always a crowd of excited man lurking just around the corner, waiting for a chance to bet on the outcome.

Instead of growling or glaring like any lesser man, the taller one simply narrowed his eyes and shook his head, his tone and demeanor clearly amused.

"Get in, you little prick."

And then they both laughed again, because really, what else could they do? Things were about to get pretty exciting for a change.

—

Detective Princeton was just the type of man every guy respected and wanted to be around. He was easy to get along with, a clever joker and a great drinking buddy. The guy was a freaking encyclopedia for conversation topics, a perfect gentleman with the ladies and he could behave like a comrade around the guys and act like the boss whenever the situation required it, something the high ups really appreciated because he gained his subordinates' trust in no time and actually knew what to do with it afterwards.

He was most known for the first case he handled as an amateur, 21 year-old investigator: what appeared to be a clean-cut murder, and actually turned out to be the work of an unnoticed yet established serial killer with an irregular M.O and a special fondness for psychological games.

The fact that he tackled the case in less than a week with no exterior help from the police was probably what astonished people the most.

As for his reputation, he was extremely picky with the jobs he took and liked to do things his way; he was currently one of the top 3 detectives in the world and the proud owner of an undefeated record: 97 solved cases and counting.

...however, like everything considered great, his perfect aptitude also carried a deal-breaker.

The one bad thing about Chazz Princeton was the fact that he never stayed anywhere for more than a couple of months. He had many job offers and governments from all over the globe literally fought one another just to be a part of his extensive resumé whenever he decided it was time for him to search for a new post.

Over the years, countless people had wondered what the reasons for that weird quirk were. His strange urge to migrate from job to job, from one city to another, it was simply irrational to everyone who met him.

Many wondered exactly what such a young, handsome and promising detective was looking for.

And more often than not, he did too.

* * *

Mondays. Oh, Mondays...

The fresh moods, the early risings and the smell of coffee made it by far the best day of the week. It was the day to start something new, something exciting, a new project, or even finish a really delayed one.

To his right, a small group of laughing girls ran past him as he stood just outside the door of the old coffee house, debating whether to go in or not.

In the end, he couldn't resist the craving for something warm to keep the cold at bay. The guy behind the counter was welcoming and pleasant than most, but still, he'd known better ones. The owner didn't seem to be around for the day, and that disappointed him greatly because he'd been kinda expecting to see her, at least to say hello and see how she was doing.

The coffee shop, being as established and popular as it was, was looking pretty empty that day. Only a pair of girls on one table and a lone, unusual man in another. In the early days of December as they were, seeing people wearing hats and trench coats wasn't all that uncommon at all, but there was something about the guy that seemed off.

With his nose buried deep into his book, the guy hardly noticed his lingering stare, anyways. Beneath the rim of his blue hat and the dark fringe of his hair, he could make out a pair of reflective, black-rimmed glasses.

"Here. Anything else?" The teenager across from him asked with a smile, which he returned in his own distracted way after shaking his head no.

Suddenly, the lonely man got up from his seat and, book and coffee in hand, he began to walk towards the exit. Thinking that maybe his rude staring had scared him off, he turned back to the kid who had just finished his order and grinned again while he handed out the money. His back tingled with something rather ghostly, something ethereal that ripped a shiver from his skin. He spun his head to the side with a frown just when the man he'd been eying was walking through the door.

The small smirk he saw on the man's lips baffled him to the point of almost dropping his coffee. His gray eyes remained glued to the advancing figure as it paced away and out of the frame the huge front window offered him.

Without thinking twice about it, he grabbed the paper cups and ran outside as carefully as he could to avoid spilling the scalding beverage. The street was empty by the time he reached the sidewalk, and the weirdness of it all made him sigh.

For a second there, he could've sworn he'd just seen...

But no...that was impossible and he knew it.

His fiancée was already waiting for him, so he choose to simply forget about the eerie occurrence and unearthly feeling and move on for the sake of his now questionable sanity. However, it seemed he was never meant to forget about the strange man or the odd sense of familiarity his sole presence stirred in him, because a couple of steps down the street, he reached a narrow alley that led to a parallel street.

Leaning against one of the walls of the alley was a huge, green dumpster, and draped over the metallic rim was the same beige trench coat the mysterious man had been wearing.

Sure enough, his fingers stumbled across a pair of reflective shades when they slipped inside one of its pockets.

* * *

A ghost from the past. That was the only explanation for the familiar face and warm smile that greeted him the minute he walked inside his house.

How long had it been since the last time he saw him? Six, years? Well, it didn't really matter. He was back, and that was the important thing here.

"I don't freaking believe it..." He stared at his childhood friend with wide, joyful eyes and then glanced at his soon-to-be wife, who appeared to be just as surprised as he was.

Jaden looked so...different. Not in a bad way, of course, just...older. His brown hair was longer, falling past his shoulders now, and he was taller, almost six inches taller than he'd been the last time they'd seen each other. By now, all of the child-like features that used to define him had already given into the thieving effect of the years and faded from his face, gone to be replaced by the look of a handsome, young man.

And it proved that not even a youthful, fierce spirit like Jaden Yuki could remain unaffected by the passing of time.

The biggest change was definitely in his eyes, though.

The once wide and open brown gaze was now narrow and much more intense, almost ancient in a way, like ages had come and gone since the day he left and his eyes were the only thing that gained any years.

"It's been a while, hasn't it?" His voice had lost its soft, boyish edge a long time ago, but it was still so very nice to hear.

"Yeah." His throat felt rather dry, so he cleared it a little and smiled up at his best friend. "Yeah, it has."

When the brunet held out a hand for him, straight-faced and all, he laughed and shook his head as he grabbed it; instead of just shaking it, he used it to pull his friend towards himself and give him a proper greeting, the only greeting he could give him after years of not seeing him. Asides from the surprised grunt he let out at the strong embrace, Jaden didn't say anything.

* * *

_I'll be back in 15 minutes_, he said. _You worry too much_, he said...

That prick better not be surprised at the sucker punch he was going to get as soon as he arrived. Just because the chief had assigned him the lovely job of protecting the guy's sweet, precious ass didn't necessarily mean he couldn't slug some sense into him. As long as no one else did, right?

They had already checked a lead and interviewed an important witness for the case, so he had a little bit of trouble trying to understand why the other was so interested in fooling around in that town any more than they needed to.

After almost three hours of absolute boredom and silence on a car full of hard-rock CD's and random folders and files, his boss and current charge finally returned from his little trip.

Not only that, he also came back dressed different. "What's with the hat, dude?"

If anything, Chazz' smirk widened. "You like it?" He ducked a bit in order to use the reflective surface of the car window as a mirror and fixed the indigo hat on his head, all the while wearing his trademark bedroom-eyes-look that made all the women, and sometimes even men, melt. "I think it makes me look kinda mysterious...and sexy. Let's not forget sexy."

The cop simply rolled his eyes and turned his attention back to the sports article he'd been reading, quite used by now to his superior's weird sense of humor.

"So..." He tossed the magazine over his shoulder and shrugged, his eyes bored and expectant as they landed on the older man. "We're done here?"

They had to head off now if they wanted to travel back with any light. The trip back would only take somewhere around five hours, but it was still a tedious task to even consider, seeing as he would be the one doing all the driving.

The black haired detective gazed at him before looking away with a mild frown that the golden sunset light forced on his face; it sure took him a while to come up with an answer. "...yeah." Bright, narrowed gray eyes met his again, a little bit uncertain and, dare he say, sad? The sigh that parted his lips confirmed his suspicion. "I guess we are."

However, despite his words, the guy refused to move; instead of getting in so they could leave, he walked around to the hood of the car and sat on the edge, with his feet resting over the bumper and his forearms on top of his knees.

Also, now that he looked closely, ever since he'd returned from his little errand, his boss had been playing with that dark blue hat he certainly did not have when he left.

He sighed. When he walked over to stand by his side, Chazz didn't even lift his head to offer him a glance. Nothing but the small hat on his hands seemed to matter to him. "You know...we don't have to go back tonight. Not really."

He would have to think of a decent excuse for the delay, one that the chief would actually buy, but honestly, he would eat muddy, crawling worms if it meant he would never have to watch Chazz fidget on his skin like he was doing right then.

The other did look up after that, his eyes so curious and mischievous he couldn't keep himself from grinning down at him. "I mean, there's...obviously something you need to do before we leave..." At the blank, unreadable stare the detective gave him, the cop threw his arms over his chest and raised an eyebrow. "Don't you?"

As usual, Chazz used a smirk instead of a real answer. The younger sighed.

"Here." He stretched out his arm towards his friend, a small, satellite phone laying on his palm. "The chief will deep-fry my ass if anything happens to you, so be very careful and don't trust anyone. If you see anything or anyone suspicious, you call me immediately, alright?

The unconcerned nod he received only infuriated him further. "Got it, mom."

Oh, those stupid, cheeky smiles would end up being his downfall. That was for sure.

* * *

They went out for a couple of drinks right after the other arrived, and Thank God, he'd managed to catch an good, understanding woman so early on in life, seeing as she was actually the one who suggested they did. Indeed, they had a lot of catching up to do.

After his mother's passing, Jaden was never the same again. With Leyla's death and Chazz' disappearance, his best friend's entire universe was quick to crash and burn. Only it didn't seem to last long because he left town before the week was over. His family just...fell apart after that.

He left in search for the dream he'd carried ever since he was a kid. He mustered up all the money he had and ran away, out of the picture completely, without even saying anything to anyone. Not goodbye, or at least where he was going.

Everyone did. First Chazz, then Jaden, and finally, so did Bastion.

He kept in contact with Bastion, but it took him a whole year to hear from Jaden again. He sent him a letter; well, it was more like a picture-less postcard because it was rather brief and devoid of any explanations.

By the time he wrote it, he'd already traveled through most of Europe and visited some parts of America.

And it seemed his best friend had gone through a lot of things in the time he'd been away — countless jobs, all too different from one another if he could say so, many successful projects and a massive journey around the world.

Yeah, Jaden was truly amazing. He had a brilliant mind and a unbeatable determination, so he wasn't really surprised to know of all the progress he made on his own, out of nothing at all. He and Gabriel became business partners about two years ago, and if everything worked out fine, they would open their fourth local some time around May of the next year.

But the wisdom he acquired and every success he claimed came with a high price.

It took a great deal of effort to hide the deep sadness he felt behind grins and jokes. Hard as it was to ignore the dry knot on his throat, he didn't want Jaden to notice he was doing his best to keep from screaming himself horse.

Jaden wasn't really his old Jay, anymore; that cheerful, naïve and simple guy had gotten lost somewhere on his way back home.

The man in front of him, on the other hand...

He didn't smile or laugh much but when he did, it was brief and kinda bashful, like it was a forbidden act he only tried out of youthful recklessness. The tone he used to talk was deep and so sober it actually made him want to drown his wits in alcohol just so he wouldn't have to listen to it.

And his eyes...they were the same shade of brown they'd always been, and yet, they seemed to be an entirely different color. There was no light inside of them, not like there used to be.

Of course, there were some things about Jaden Yuki not even time would never change, like his good nature and loyalty, or his strong sense of justice, and he was deeply thankful for that because those were the only things that truly mattered at the end of the day.

Cheery or serious, that man would always be his childhood partner; he would always be welcomed inside his house and his well-being and happiness would forever be a concern to him.

Like the winter days, their improvised get-together was drawn-out and still pretty short-lived.

When Jaden started stumbling on his words for his leave-taking, Syrus couldn't help the stab on his own words at the thought of them going their separate ways once again. Because really, how long would the other stay gone this time?

Would he have to wait another seven years to see him again?

In the end, they both made excuses to leave as fast as they could and after one last handshake, they traded numbers and decided to meet up again, with a better timing on better circumstances.

Hurried as they were to just get the hell out of there, the two friends forgot to set a date.

* * *

Night had already spread wide across the windshield by the time he pulled over and into the parking lot of the first hotel he found, still within the limits of the town.

Walking into a lobby and paying for a room now felt as casual and normal as brushing his teeth in the morning. He was so used to the mechanically polite wake-up calls and the penetrating stench of nicotine in every surface.

It was hard for him to imagine life without a suitcase in one hand and his passport in the other; he almost didn't remember life before the hotel rooms and the hard, magically-made beds.

A sincere, yet ironical chuckle rumbled in his throat, because really, just how tragic was that?

Something heavy dropped inside his chest at the thought, halting his mindless pacing around the empty room.

Funny. Ever since he started off with that kind of lifestyle, that was the first time he'd actually felt that way. Seeing Syrus probably had something to do with that.

Man, it felt good to see his old bud again, and even more so to discover he was doing pretty fine. He had an incredible job that he loved, a great deal of respect amongst his colleagues and his fiancée was an absolute knockout. The guy had everything any man could possibly desire, and it made him too happy and proud for regular words.

He would've pondered a bit more about that if a familiar ring-tone hadn't startled him out of his reverie. Slightly bewildered since not many people called him so late at night, the brunet strode across the room and swiftly picked his phone from the only table in the room.

"Hello?"

"_Jaden! Look, this is going to sound way too crazy, and it's a really long story, but before you leave you need to know-"_

For some reason, he had a very bad feeling about this.

"Syrus?"

But far from cutting down on the weird babbling, his friend just went straight to the point. _"Yeah, it's me, now listen-"_

Or tried to, anyway... "Are you okay, man? What's wrong? Did something-"

"_**Jaden!**__"_

The firm, exasperated tone was definitely new to him, so he stopped talking and breathing all together at the cutting order. Yeah, in all good honesty, he'd only been trying to buy some time, if only the few seconds he needed to brace himself for whatever Syrus was about to tell him, because he already knew Syrus wouldn't call him in the middle of the night for good news.

The awful gut feeling stewing inside him only grew stronger.

"_Chazz is back." _

And just like that, both his heart and dinner shot up and got caught up in his dry throat, rendering him unable to utter a single word.

It hit him like a bucket of ice-cold water, leaving him to disperse in the rush of feelings, the chaos of his mind. He didn't raise his cold hand to cover his open mouth, nor did he rest it over his scorching forehead, over his wide, caramel eyes. He did none of those things, reactions so common in movies and soup operas - plain, overused.

"_...he's in town."_

Instead, he could see through the eyes of a dazed, hollow man that was himself his own helplessness as he groped shakily for the wooden table, almost clawing the wood when another wave of that nameless sensation burned his spirit.

It was a brand-new reaction for him, something new and raw and gaping with emotion.

When he closed his cellphone without so much as a 'thanks' or 'goodbye', still unblinking and breathless, he realized he'd never felt so close to the dark box of insanity as he did right then. He felt angry, foolish, betrayed, relieved, curious, excited...maybe even glad.

But the real madness began when he heard himself chuckling. It started out as a simple grin, then he broke out in short, breathless fits of laughter.

A strange urge filled his being, one so strong he could only obey. He grabbed keys and dashed out of the room, too fast for him to remember if he'd even closed the heavy door after himself.

And to be completely honest, that thought wasn't important enough to even make it into his list of worries.

* * *

The pleasant, cool nights was definitely what he missed the most about that town. Well...a close second; there was a certain, especial coffee house that honor would always belong to.

God, the park was exactly as he remembered it, and that small discovery made him feel more hopeful and pleased than he'd felt in years. Simply because it was good to know some things would always remain the same, no matter what happened or how many years rolled by.

Halfway through the long, tree-rimmed path he'd gotten to know so well, his feet bumped into something that almost made him fall down flat on his face and force a mouthful of dirt inside his mouth. Instead of going down, though, he staggered a few steps forward before he finally retrieved his balance.

Deja vú racked over him instantly, and when he looked back only to find a big, round rock sticking out the earth, he placed his hands on his knees and released a loud laugh that set the woods alight, at least for a moment that disappeared into anonymity as fast as it came.

The bridge was carpeted with dry, leaves and light dirt, and the silver glow of the last-quarter moon gave the whole place a supernatural, surreal touch that he couldn't have been more thankful for. After all, there really was something unearthly about that bridge.

It was the lost-and-found bridge, the place where wandering souls crossed paths. There was no place like it, not in Paris, or London, or New York. Not even the home of the honor and the terror, the beautiful Japan, had anything quite close to it.

A leaf crumbled under a foot a few meters behind him; probably some lonesome human looking for an enigma bigger than their purpose in life.

However, the steps didn't breeze by and out of reach like he'd expected. In fact, they stopped as soon as he acknowledged them with a small tilt of his head.

"Such a lovely night..."

Hm, it really was, and he would've even agreed with the nice observation if he'd gotten the chance to.

"...isn't it, _detective_?"

Still unfazed, the black haired young man gave into his natural curiosity and, with a smile on his eyes, he turned his head to the side only a little to take a look at the one addressing him so casually. He smirked_. 'Ah, the plot thickens...'_

Somehow, as soon as he set a foot on the park, a part of him realized something like that might actually happen. A gut feeling, he guessed. They say that kind of sixth sense was exactly what marked the difference between normal detectives and great detectives.

He only wished that small part of him hadn't failed to tell the others.

* * *

The contentment that flooded his heart was so overwhelming he wasn't sure how he was able to contain it all in his chest. It felt good to be back. No matter how beautiful all those cities he visited were, they still were no match for this one. The city that he grew up in, the one that held all the memories and that gave him the best friends he could ever ask for.

It was his origin, his roots, it was his home.

He was finally home.

Looking around, he realized how much he had missed being there, in the park where his childhood friend Syrus and him used to hand out at, where he had found the love of his life and where he had lost him too.

He had almost forgotten how enchanting the whole place looked when the streetlights illuminated it at night.

The thud of his steps on the muddy, flowered ground was just as he remembered it. The sound of rushing water and the nostalgic smell of humid earth warned him about how close he was to the bridge.

His pace came to a halt almost automatically at the exact spot where he stood when he saw the gorgeous creature he fell in love with for the first time.

Like possessed by some wistful spell, his characteristically chocolate gaze dashed towards the place Chazz had stood at the first time he laid eyes on him, looking so elegant and enigmatic, but above all, so terribly beautiful.

And there he was. Lean, even taller shape outlined finely in the dark, dazzling eyes standing out brilliantly above everything else, lit alive like water by the reflection of the yellow, magical moon.

They were narrowed and focused solely on the ground as he lent over the edge a little with one of his hands resting on the thick handrail, the other lost under the black fabric of his coat.

The ability to move was swiftly snatched from his hands, and any coherent line of thought quickly became a messy web of whispers that had no unity whatsoever as he stared at the dark figure slouching in the middle of the bridge, almost completely hidden in shadows. The scene itself was so familiar to him, for he remembered living it before, seven long years ago.

He was still behind the thick wall of denial, even as he walked closer.

From where he stood, marveled to say the least, he allowed himself to completely take in the whole sight, every single detail.

In contrast to the night that spread frostily around them, Chazz's pitch black coat paled down to a rainy gray, the collar and shoulders catching the moonlight like a mystical, dark halo.

Even when he was able to discern those onyx spikes through the darkness, he still couldn't find the willpower nor the strength to move. His knees felt like jelly, he felt rather light-headed, and if his hands weren't gripping the interior of his pockets so tightly, they sure as hell would be shaking madly.

He bit his grinning lip, wondering when was the last time he'd felt like that.

After a long moment of hesitation, he finally started to approach the other with fairly trembling steps, his eyes glued to the one person he could only think about the whole time he had been away.

He was in utter disbelief even as he reached out to touch the black haired one's shoulder, a bit hesitant at first, then shook him firmly after not getting a reaction.

Quite confused now, the brunet walked around the other and came to stand by his side, close enough for his nose to pick up Chazz's old scent. He smelled of toffee and vanilla, just like he remembered.

The eyes Chazz rolled his way were dark, too dark, and unfocused, but once he actually had a chance to take a look at him and recognition flashed past them, they widened so much it made him look like a startled, disorientated owl.

But there was something in them, something that shouldn't have been there.

Fear. He looked truly and utterly frightened.

Something was terribly wrong, here.

Before he could gather the wits he needed in order to ask him what was wrong, the older man turned around to face him fully...

And fell down as his knees folded beneath him.

Even if Jaden reached out, out of instinct, and grabbed him by the shoulders in time to stop his descent, the weight was still too much for him and it ended up dragging him down along with Chazz. He tried, anyway, and lowered the well-built body down onto the ground as carefully as he could so that he lay on his back; he slipped an arm under his shoulders and lifted him up to his chest.

Those gray, tired orbs peered up at him confusedly, and it seemed his old classmate was about to say something important, but when a shaky, searching hand landed over his chest, he screwed his eyes shut and threw his head back with a barely restrained groan.

Jaden could only blink dully at the odd, wet warmth his fingers met against the fabric of Chazz' shirt. When he brought his hand up to his face to examine it, still in blissful shock, the sticky, crimson screen that now covered his palm horrified him beyond understanding.

Blood. A lot of it.

"...no." His skin was pale as the moon and just as cold, too. "No, no, no, no..."

The stain on his white dress shirt was too big for him to tell where exactly all the blood was coming from, and he was afraid of hurting even more if he tried to search for the source again.

"Chazz..." He whispered, out of breath all of a sudden. "Chazz, what...what happened to you?"

One of his hands instinctively flew up to curl beneath the taller man's sharp jaw, but a pale, bloodied set of fingers wrapped around his wrist before his fingertips could even grace his skin.

The other nailed his gaze on his squarely, his hold cold and trembling, and then shook his head no in a weak motion.

"Please...leave."

Instead of making him feel joyful and serene at last, the gruff, now deep voice he'd missed far too much only sparkled an angry fire that reduced the small remains of his once optimistic soul into simple ashes.

The brown haired man just frowned numbly at the raspy words, utterly baffled and lost.

He couldn't be serious. Was it some kind of cruel and twisted, death-wish game he was playing or something?

"Jaden, please..." The sad, begging tone was entirely new to him, and it sounded like a completely different person from the boy that'd shared his face and name years ago; still, it matched the helplessness and fear building up inside those gray orbs, so he had no choice but to deem it all as real. "...leave now."

**"No!"**

The roar of a threatened dragon wouldn't have sounded quite as powerful and poignant as that cutting word did, and the effect was instantaneous, like an electric shock straight to the neck, making the wounded man flinch slightly.

"Enough with your games, Chazz! For once, just this once in your entire life, _stop being a god-dammed coward!_" And maybe screaming at someone who was already in great pain wasn't a very moral thing to do, maybe he was being an insensitive asshole here, but then again, he probably learned that from the master: the king of assholes himself.

The very same bastard that came back only to do what he did best.

He'd merely returned to leave again.

But just when he thought his heart couldn't hold another thread of hatred without burning down, he heard something that drowned out the fire and murdered all the negative feelings that had taken root inside his spirit a long time ago.

"Jaden, I'm sorry..." His already labored breathing was becoming more and more choppy as the seconds continued to bleed out of their hands, impatient and selfish like a spoiled child. "For leaving you like that...but I couldn't...I couldn't st-"

**"Shut up!"**

His voice must've sounded harsher and more commanding than he'd initially thought because those beautiful, silver eyes finally rose to meet his, and tired and unfocused as they were, he was unable to keep from losing himself inside them.

"I don't care why you left, I don't even care that you broke your promise!" He grabbed a fistful of Chazz' collar and gave it a tight tug to silence any stray excuses. "I don't, you hear me? Not anymore!"

Pale lips parted to utter words, but only rasping, short pants and dry coughs came out. When a cold hand fell on top of his, Jaden just lost whatever control he had over himself and, ignoring the blood that hanged from the corner of his best friend's mouth, he dipped down and mashed their lips in a desperate, dizzying kiss.

By the time he broke away, almost a minute later, none of them could catch a breath. He backed away a little to look at the other and his heart sank at the sight he found there. Chazz' eyes were shut and his brow was furrowed in pain, but the harsh expression softened a little after he brushed a hand over his temple.

However, as the tired grimace disappeared, the body in his arms also became heavier and stilled completely.

"It's okay.. you...you're here, now...you're here...and I'm not letting you go ever again."

Even when the older one's head sagged down and to the side and that pale face hid against his heaving, thumping chest, he refused to believe he'd even gotten up from bed that morning.

He couldn't bring himself to believe he was losing the person he loved the most, losing him all over again; only this time, he was watching him go for the last time, to a place he would never return from.

Soaked in denial, he reached up and grabbed him by the chin to shake him out of his sleep.

Still, he kept on drifting off, slipping through his fingers like dry, lifeless sand no matter how hard he tried to hold him tight against his chest and whisper words of comfort. Tireless and absent-minded murmurs that he knew would not do any good. He knew they wouldn't make everything alright or bring Chazz back or heal his crushed heart.

They would not give them more time to make up for the moments they lost.

But it was all he could do. All the ripping inside him would allow him to.

"This isn't supposed to end like this...it **can't**."

And it really shouldn't.

Because even if they both were there, on that old bridge that night, it was nothing like he'd imagined. And God, had he really imagined it all.

First of all, Chazz was supposed to be okay. Okay and smirking and cocky like he'd always been, and he was supposed to be angry at him for going away from him like that. For bailing on him when he needed him the most, despite promising him not to.

And then there was a small chance they might be able to work things out after that. There was always hope, and they would have all the time in the world to make it work.

Time.

Just how long had they been standing out there? Feelings and thoughts mixed.

He found it hard to remember exactly who was the one laying on the ground, bleeding from an invisible wound. Was it really just Chazz?

Perhaps they both were.

"Please..." He pulled him closer and tightened the hold his fingers had on that black jacket, the dark denim feeling hard and cold under his red, scorching palm. "I forgive you for leaving, I forgive you for everything, just..."

When his warm cheek touched the cold tip of a straight, ivory nose, a powerful need exploded inside him and urged him to press his whole being into the other man's; he pressed so hard he thought their skins were about to reach a fusing point. The feeling of helplessness was overwhelming, too hysterical, and he grunted out of desperation, the sound low and pitiful like the squeak of a frightened, lost animal.

"Just don't go away." He whispered brokenly when his words met nothing but silence. "Please...not again..."

A dull thud rumbled around him, like something hard and heavy had just fallen into the ground, hardly startling him, and like a lit candle standing out in the middle of an apocalyptic storm, the hope finally extinguished from his soul at the sound.

The wrecked, miserable sound suddenly equaled that of his heart breaking in million pieces.

If he'd hadn't been as crushed as he was, or simply curious enough as to look up and see what had caused the thump, he would've seen the black cellphone that now sat inches away from pale, long fingers he'd missed feeling so much...

He couldn't sob or cry. Not even a scream could make it past his lips.

He was just...too sad for tears.

Careful, shuffling paces stirred across the dirt and dry leaves scattered over the old stone.

Before he could take his eyes off from the vessel of his lost hopes and meaning for his sorrow as it lay bleeding out in his arms, a metallic click crept up from behind them.

"For what its worth, kid...I'm really sorry about this..."

Suddenly, his senses cleared enough for him become aware of it. The familiar, dark thickening in the air.

"I was actually expecting someone else..."

Danger.

He narrowed his eyes.

Of course...how could he **not** notice before?

Another shot was fired to the night, and it seemed the moon had been set out to be the only surviving witness from the very beginning.

(End of chapter 25)

* * *

I'm truly sorry, really, but sometimes you're forced to do horrible things for the sake of the plot.

The answers you're all missing will be in the next chapter, which will be up in four days.


	26. Epilogue

**I know, I know. I said four days and it took me a lot more. I know, believe me, but I wanted it to be perfect to my taste. **

**So...I guess this is it, folks. The last chapter of a story that took me 4 years to write.**

**Saying I loved writing this would be really unnecessary; I do, however, want to say that I'm truly, **_**really**_** thankful for the beautiful reviews I got for this. I'm sure most of you know what it feels like to receive one – it's awesome and soo exciting. Thank you so much for that, and I'm sorry if last chapter freaked you guys out. **

**Then again, that was my intention all along, so...**

**Again, thank you so much. I learned a lot.  
**

* * *

**Someone finds salvation in everyone, another only pain.  
Someone tries to hide himself, down inside himself he prays.  
Someone swears his true love until the end of time, another runs away.  
Separate or united, healthy or insane.**

**Even when you've paid enough, been pulled apart or been held up,  
With every single memory of the good or bad faces of luck,  
Don't lose any sleep tonight, I'm sure everything will end up alright.  
You may win or lose, **

**But to be yourself is all that you can do.**

~_Be Yourself _by Audioslave.

* * *

Through Heaven and Hell:**  
Epilogue**

"_Well...that son of a bitch sure can shoot."_

"_No kidding...that guy lost half his head."_

"_Dude, I wish I could aim like that!" _

"_Yeah, 'cause you wouldn't be picking up some stinker at fucking 3 o'clock in the morning if you could, now would ya?" _

_

* * *

_

It was almost dawn. He could see the orange halo of the early-rising, hot star, slowly clawing its way up the stale, indigo sky.

He was seeing, and not really seeing. In a silent daze, he watched as the forensic team waltzed in and out of the scene like it was nothing; like they all were just hanging out on a picnic or something like that. He understood their casual indifference; he was pretty sure every one of them had already seen at least a hundred crime scenes, gorier ones even.

His legs were killing him, and with good reason, seeing as he'd been standing there for almost an hour now. The fact that his career might as well be over and that the chief would probably peel the skin off his bones the minute he got his hands on him, it didn't matter to him, at all.

It was most likely the least of his worries. Right now, all he felt was guilt and sadness because really, it was his entire fault. If only he'd been more professional with the assignment and firmer with his reluctant charge, none of this would've happened.

If only he'd gotten there fifteen minutes earlier...

He's just gone out for a coffee...just that. The strange man he found lurking around the empty car when he returned was the only sign he needed to know something was wrong, so he lingered in the shadows until the man gave his suspicious search up and walked away, towards the poorly illuminated path that led to the park. The scene he found after following him was definitely unexpected.

He should've known something like that could actually happen. Horrible things could happen in a matter of seconds; he knew that, his entire training revolved around that simple fact and he still allowed himself to slack off like a careless, mother-freaking rookie.

Damn...even getting inside Chazz' car felt weird without him there, cracking his trademark, smart-assed jokes and singing along to the same songs over and over again, loud and especially off-tune.

And he missed that — the petty, practical jokes, the loud music and the teasing comments. He missed his friend.

There was a weird, boiling feeling steaming behind his sight, and it clashed with the horrible hole in his chest every waking moment, but he still refused to shed any tears.

Instead, he bit his tongue and shut his eyes tightly. Chazz would beat him down if he did, so he kept strong.

* * *

(Three weeks later)

He'd learned that plain grass could be more comfortable and even softer than a bed; at least softer than the beds he was used to. He lifted his forearms from their resting place on top of his knees and let his hands fall between his raised legs, into his lap.

The sunlight flashed straight into his sight as it bounced off the clean tombstones that stood in clean lines, all around him.

After his body sizzled with a faint shiver, he tossed the longest end of his scarf over his shoulder and shrank into himself, his gaze still glued to the square, beautiful piece of stone that towered over him.

The perfect pearl rose that sat on top of the chiseled marble baffled him, if only a little. It looked delicate and immaculate, so he knew it had to be really fresh. Strange as it was, he didn't allow himself to dwell on the subject for too long.

Instead, he loosened the curious frown and smiled lightly.

"Seven years..."

It was amazing how so many places, experiences and people could be lumped together into just that.

"Seven years and I still think about you everyday..."

It had been unbearable at first, being all alone like that. So he ran away. He ran as far as he could from there until the sun and the stars themselves had shifted paths and only came back once he'd settled down a little.

He stayed gone until he was completely sure he wouldn't lose his mind at the first glimpse of a familiar face. "I know life's not really fair, sometimes. And most of the time it doesn't make much sense, either..."

Because they would remind him too much of something really precious, something he lost, forfeited for the sake of moving on...

"You can never have everything you need; that's just the way it is, isn't it?"

Himself.

Approaching footsteps reached his ears and made his back tense up out of instinct, and maybe out of fear too since he'd almost died last time someone came up to him from behind like that.

Still, the air around him held no traces of threat, and the steps were bold and soundly, like whoever was walking towards him knew of his bad experience and wanted to warn him about their presence as to not startle him.

Whatever the case, he dropped his stiff shoulders back and relaxed.

"I talked to your friend, Syrus...he told me I might find you here. I hope you don't mind."

Curious now, the brunet turned back to address the well-built cop with a small, casual grin. "No, its okay, man..." He accepted the hand the cappuccino-skinned officer offered him and used it to haul himself up.

The other didn't say anything at first. There was mild hesitation on his eyes, and some anxiety too, like he was debating whether to say what he came to say or not, and that alone was enough for him to know exactly what Hassleberry was about to tell him.

"He's out, Jaden...he got discharged in the morning."

* * *

The day that envelope was found, laying casually besides the dismembered, heartless corpse of a woman, with a craftily encrypted threatening letter addressed to Chazz inside it, he understood he would probably have to shoot someone — anyone who dared harm him — without any mercy or remorse because that was his job.

It shocked him to realize just how willing he was to hurt if it meant keeping the detective out of harm's way.

As expected from someone as famous and bold as Chazz Princeton, for every friend and ally that he found along the way, he gained two foes. Apparently somebody out there wanted to keep him from stumbling across something dirty while searching for the truth that would solve the case, and decided to give him a small warning, just to scare him enough and nudge him in the wrong direction.

And Chazz, being Chazz, only grew more curious about the whole matter and pressed further, uncaring and unafraid as always.

All they had to do was talk to a possible witness and check a lead. Just that and then they could leave that mysterious town behind, lost in the rear-view mirror for good.

But since when did all things go as planned? Instead of getting his first formal, really important job done neatly, he almost got both his charge and an innocent man killed...

**-+Flashback+-**

_The cold crept in as soon as he opened the door, so he hopped in quickly and closed the door after himself to keep the car warm. _

_He shifted his grip on the paper cup he'd been carrying and lifted it over his shoulder, doing his best to pour some of the positivity he wasn't even feeling into the smile he shaped on his lips. "Here. You look like you could use some." _

_It was taken from his fingers after little hesitation, and the other finally answered, voice raspy yet confident. "...thanks." _

_Despite looking pretty shaken up, the guy didn't seem to forget his manners, and it sure came as a nice reminder of what normal human contact felt like. It was the pleasant side of people he rarely got to see in his line of work. The cop scooted to the side a little to be able to glance at the man sitting in the backseat, to take a good look at him. _

_Well, now, he definitely was all about the dames, but he really had to admit that dude was very, very pretty. Big eyes, long brown hair, clear, deep voice... "So...Jaden, right?" At the slow, shaky nod the other gave, he continued. "How you doing? You okay, man?" _

_How would he forget the name? It was branded deep inside his memory the moment he got there and found him kneeling there on the ground, holding the unconscious detective to his chest like a lifeline with so much care and desperation, and not letting him go for anything in the world, not even if a full-blown murdered was standing right behind him with a gun aimed at his head._

_The way he'd gazed at Chazz, the sorrow in his eyes alone...it said more than enough._

_The brunet frowned dazedly and shook his head, unblinking and simply unmoving. "No...I'm really not."_

_Well...at least he was honest. _

_And odd as that guy was, he just knew that man had nothing to do with what happened to Chazz. If anything, he'd been only trying to protect him from another bullet. _

_So, in spite of the fear and sadness he felt eating away at him from the inside, he pried him away from his friend and led him away after the ambulance he hadn't even requested arrived a minute later, to spare him of all the assumptions the local cops might wrongly make. They would probably arrest him first and ask questions later. _

_The guy had been very cooperative, still in shock as he was. _

_A pair of caramel eyes suddenly met his in the small, useful frame of the rear-view mirror, and the sole weight of them made him freeze on his seat. It was far from uncomfortable, though. "What about you?" _

_The sincere, straight-forward question startled him more than he would've expected it to, maybe because the honesty and kindness in the older man's tone reminded him way too much of a certain black haired detective. _

_Either way, he took some time to think the kind query through before answering, and when he did, he made sure to keep his words and tone just as honest as Jaden's. He raised both eyebrows and glanced down at his hands, truly surprised if his stuttering and red face were anything to go by._

"_I-I'd never killed anyone before..." The huff he let out at that was everything but amused. "Hell, I don't think I ever used that thing outside the range before this..."_

_He had the best scores in the academy, and Chazz even told him once that he was probably the best marksman he'd ever met; then again, in the shooting range, shooting someone was only a distant possibility, an almost platonic situation no one really thought might actually happen. _

_And when that day finally comes, the guilt stings real deep, like a childhood mistake that's too noble to be shameful and still too horrible to be justified. _

"_...I'm sorry." That was the way the job was sometimes. Sometimes he witnessed miracles, some others…it was simply the opposite. _

_Jaden didn't say anything else after that. None of them could.  
_

**-+End of Flashback+-**

Jaden Yuki...that guy sure was something.

If he'd been terrified out of his mind right then and there despite his training and the strong sense of superiority only carrying a gun could offer, then he couldn't even begin to imagine how Jaden felt.

But he still refused to give up on the detective. He'd still protected him with his life.

That bravery...it was inspiring.

"So..." The cop grinned lazily and threw a sideways glance at the brown eyed man besides him, riding shotgun. "Is that Syrus friend of yours really Zane Truesdale's little brother?" When the silent brunet tore his gaze away from the window to offer him a small nod, he raised both eyebrows and whistled in amazement. "Wow...well, that's interesting..."

The word interesting didn't quite cut it, in his opinion.

If there anyone in the world Chazz respected and even admired, it was definitely Zane. The man was two or three years older than Chazz, and he was just as famous and respected as the stubborn detective, being a big-time Judge, an award-winning author and dean of one of the top five law schools in the world. The youngest dean in history, at that.

Not to mention, the guy was, according to 98% of the women he'd ever met, drop-dead gorgeous and a full-blooded gentleman.

"He's the one that told me Chazz was here in the first place..." At this, the cop's ears perked up almost instinctively.

"Because Zane told him, right?"

"Yeah..." The look Jaden gave him was confused and uncertain, his frown clearly a request for further explanation. "How did you…?"

"The night before...you know, _that_ happened, he and Chazz went out for dinner."

"Really? So what, they see each other on a regular basis or something?"

Bewildered beyond understanding, Jaden really had to wonder why Syrus would fail mention something like that. "Well...kind of. They met in London a few days ago, when Zane was assigned to one of his big cases. You probably heard about it. The serial killer dubbed by the English press as 'the tourist', wanted in 9 countries and charged with over 20 murders? Ring a bell?"

Regardless of all the many helpful clues the other gave him, the brunet refused to admit he even knew what he was talking about.

"Wow, you should start reading the newspapers, man, 'cause I'm telling you, it was _huge_! International press and everything..."

Of course he heard about it. Who hadn't? Chazz was more of a public figure than any politician or actor he'd ever known of.

"Now I can see why he was so interested in Zane...I mean, he literally got obsessed with him, right after he first heard the guy's name."

After learning his former classmate was the one leading the investigation, he made sure to read every article that came out about the case, keeping track of any advance the young detective might make.

"But it was actually Truesdale who came up to him after the trial to introduce himself. That's when they discovered the senseless obsession was mutual."

Choosing to ignore the odd insinuation in that comment, the older man smirked slightly and gazed out the window. "You don't say..."

Hassleberry remained oblivious to the effect of his words, somehow, his own tone sarcastic and amused. "Yeah, apparently, he was so _'impressed by his intelligence and his strong sense of justice_…'" The cop shook his head and chuckled. "Man, I thought Chazz' head was gonna explode..."

"You really care about him, don't you?"

The sudden question caught the officer off guard at first, cutting his laughter short in a sec. Green, sharp eyes turned pensive as they traced the intermittent white line on the road, squinting lightly before coming back to rest on the older man. "Of course I do. He's my best friend."

The brunet couldn't fight the smile that tickled his insides at the thought. Sometimes it was kinda hard for him to believe just how stupidly lucky that cocky jerk was, without even realizing it. Some people searched for a friend their entire lives and could only find one or two, three at most. Oh, but **not** Chazz. He could put up all the walls in the world, the worst and most hostile loner attitude possible and he would still be a freaking friend-magnet, anywhere he went.

"He's very lucky to have you, Hass."

"That would be an understatement…"

Truth was, that cop right there had proved to be a better friend than any of them.

Unlike any of Chazz' old friends, including him, Hassleberry was the only one that stayed there, by his bedside night and day until the stubborn man woke up.

That would be, in fact, the very first time he and Chazz saw each other after the dreadful incident.

Cruel and detached as it might be, he just knew he wasn't ready to face him; hell, he wasn't even sure if he'd been ready back then. Going to the park to meet him had been just a huge, ill-advised decision he'd made out of blind yearning and excitement, because he was truly weak when it came to the one person he'd missed far much more than anyone should ever miss anything without going nuts.

Because it could take another seven years for an opportunity like that to come up again, for all he knew, and in the split second it'd taken him to choose, he decided he wasn't willing to wait that long just to see him one more time.

The car turned sharply to come into the parking lot of a beautiful, expensive looking hotel. The wheels stopped rolling right in front if the elegant, crystal main gates, so he took it as his cue to climb off the vehicle, closing the door behind himself.

He'd been so anxious and pensive to notice the engine kept rumbling even as he started to walk towards the entrance; on his third step, a loud, playful voice called out for him. "Well, I guess I'll see you later!"

The purposely cheerful words made him turn back around, all stiff and shocked. "What?"

The cop just grinned widely and waved him off. "Tell 'em I say hi!"

And then, faster than he possibly could react, the other hit the gas and sped off, picking up a fine sheet of dust and countless dirty looks on his trail.

A part of him wanted to believe the younger man was just messing with him, and it was because of that part that his feet became rooted to the floor, allowing him to merely watch the car set off, his resolve and confidence abandoning him with every meter the other gained in the opposite direction. Angry didn't even begun to describe his state.

But even if the guy's impressive nerve had annoyed him greatly, he still spun around and made his way to the lobby, anyway. Just when he thought he would have to ask the receptionist exactly in which room that stupid detective was hiding at, a firm hand grasped his shoulder from behind, its weight and hold distantly familiar.

Instantaneous and hot like a firework, his heart flew up to clog his already dry throat in a second.

Only it wasn't the jerk he'd been aching to see who stood behind him, but his great childhood friend, Syrus Truesdale, his pale gaze expectant and just so glad his chest clamped up in itself at the sight. Quite frankly, he had a hard time deciding which one was the overpowering sensation inside his head: disappointment or relief.

It was probably a tie.

The soft ding of the elevator brought him out of the strange, inopportune reverie, and he only offered the man that stepped out of the doors a flash glance before turning his attention back to his friend.

Something old, a dusty but precious memory sparkled inside his head, and he quickly snapped his now wide gaze back to the now approaching tall man, both his jaw and spirit dropping to the ground at the familiar, yet so very different face.

The fine, manly features, the sharp gray eyes, the intelligent expression, it was all like he remembered — the dark stubble and the long, slicked-back hair, on the other hand, were definitely new.

Bastion Misawa didn't say anything when he came to stand in front of him; he just glanced at Syrus with an almost knowing look and then opened his arms to take him into a kind, strong embrace. "It's alright, Jaden...we'll catch up later."

Confused like he hadn't felt in years, the brunet frowned at the mysterious words and made a move to pull away from the other, but his old friend held him fast and strong before he could, bringing his lips closer to his ear.

"Room 504." He whispered before stepping back to stand next to Syrus, who only smiled and patted his shoulder, his smile warm and sympathetic.

"Good luck, Jay."

And he could only stare stupidly at them, completely overthrown by their understanding gesture, too dazed and speechless to utter a single word after they begun to walk away from him, towards the main doors.

It really was a lot to take in — first Hassleberry and Sy, then Bastion and now that even the freaking stars had aligned perfectly, he was also supposed to see Chazz again? All alone?

Though, after further consideration, he decided that them leaving him on his own was probably for the best. That way, no one he knew would see him scramble into the first open elevator as quick as he could without tripping. At least he could keep his dignity.

The pair of uniformed, imposing sentinels flanking the door at the very end of the hallway, they were definitely the first thing he saw when he stepped out of the restricted cubicle, and intimidating as they were, he supposed it was a necessary measure.

After walking closer, however, he discovered something rather interesting. The metal numbers hanging between the guards read, _508._ One peek over the shoulder brought him face to face with the room he'd been searching for.

The puzzled frown quickly got replaced by a small smirk. '_A decoy, huh? Wouldn't expect any less from you, Chazz...'_

The fact that the door tagged as _504_ slid open with ease under his palm only confirmed his theory. With utmost stealth, he slipped inside and closed the door behind himself, ignoring the bemused look the guards threw in his direction.

He didn't even bother flipping the switch on, in spite of the blind state it would leave him in. It would probably annoy the night creature that he knew was hiding in there, waiting for him in the shadows. A large, close-blinded window split the opposite wall in half, offering the room a weak gray shade that helped him see where he was going, at least until his eyes fully adapted to the dark.

A few steps further and he reached a small yet luxurious living room. From what he could make out through the darkness, there was a long sofa stretched in front of him, facing away from him, with a short coffee table sitting before it.

Suddenly, the air in the room plunged into an even deeper silence, like the short-lived standstill before the unexpected attack — and then he heard it, the faint rustle coming behind him.

Unfortunately for him, he sensed the movement one second too late...

He spun around on his heels only to meet the lunge directly, his back hitting the carpeted floor with a soft, impeccable thud. It seemed the other's wounded state hadn't hindered at all his uncanny ability to pounce like a tiger.

A pair of surprisingly warm hands fell over his shoulders, pinning his upper body down while a comfortable, yet imposing weight kept his legs flat against the beige carpet.

He honestly couldn't help the sharp intake of air that escaped him at the feathery touch of a steady breathing across his neck, or the shudder that followed suit. As much as he tried to keep his reactions in check, being temporarily blind had only heightened the rest of his senses and no amount of restraint seemed to be enough to regain full control of his body.

When the tip of a cold nose brushed the oversensitive skin of his collarbone, he clamped his mouth shut and turned his face away from the invisible eyes that he knew were watching his every move closely.

"Hm..." The soft, gruff voice that rumbled near his ear infused him with a deep sense of relief, a kind of peace he surely hadn't felt in years, so strong he almost blacked out right there and then in his serenity. "...definitely the best room service I've ever had."

The urge to laugh at that mischievous comment proved to be stronger than his already crumbling resolve to keep his distance, but he quickly came up with a clever way to work with it. "You haven't changed a thing, have you? Still as conceited as always..."

Focused as he tried to be, his willpower was no match for the distraction the satisfied purr that vibrated against his chest proved to be. "Maybe..."

A nice amount of pressure gathered on his lower abdomen when the detective suddenly shifted atop him, and he had to shut his eyes and ground his teeth to keep from responding any way other than mentally. Since he had no way of knowing if he was being deliberately teased or not, he chose to simply relax and let the moment follow its natural course.

"_You_, on the other hand..."

The unexpected light that poured into his sensitive eyes all of a sudden was quick to banish any dirty thoughts from his mind, and like a kid who was too impatient to wait for his cocoa to cool down, he ignored the painful feeling that jabbed at his eyes and opened them at once.

A swift, painful glance heavenwards, however, rewarded him with the most amazing sight he'd ever laid eyes on.

The black-haired man leaning over him was truly beautiful, to say the least. The peculiar, midnight spikes he used to secretly sniff and nuzzle were longer than he remembered, and there was a new unruly look about them that gave Chazz more allure than the faint stubble that now framed his sharp jaw.

And his gaze...

Half-lidded and amused as it was, it made him appear so surreal...completely different and still, just the way he remembered him.

But then it paled down, and as the pleased, captivating look faded away, so did the happy feeling inside the brunet's chest.

The delight disappeared from those silver eyes in a moment, gone to be replaced by a sadness so deep and infectious he found himself reciprocating it almost immediately.

He was so sad, in fact, that his mind and senses hardly reacted when the detective dropped a forearm on the carpet, above his head so that his fingers could get lost in his brown locks, and lowered his upper body closer to his, still not quite touching him. The other arm came down to rest besides his shoulders, palm down for a better leverage.

The hypnotizing gaze lingered on him for a long while before that deep voice cut through the silence, striking his face in a warm caress that did nothing to distract him from the powerful eye-contact. "...is it true, Jaden? What they told me?"

His tone was soft, too soft, and there was a pitiful quality about it that filled in the blanks like the clandestine whisper of missing answers in a vital test. For some reason, he knew exactly what Chazz meant by that. Nevertheless, the newfound pain the discovery brought alone exiled every word he knew from his mind.

With a simple nod, he answered. The ebony haired man reflected on all of the deep implications that unfurled behind that response, and then dipped down to press his lips against his forehead. "I'm so sorry..."

And he was.

He was able to tell by his tone alone just how heartbroken and remorseful he truly was. His hand roamed all the way up the strong arm that confined him to finally end up going astray amongst those rebellious, black tresses.

"Yeah...me too."

At the unexpected caress, the detective pulled away from him a little to look at him, his stare searching and so distraught it caused him to just act, not think about anything twice. Before the older man could say something back, he threw one other arm around those broad shoulders and brought him back down to drink up any superfluous words with his mouth.

It sure surprised the hell out of guy, if the gasp and stiffness his body abruptly irradiated were anything to go by.

The speed with which the other broke away and rose to his feet all in one swift move, it didn't match his supposedly wounded state in the least.

Startled as he was, he couldn't help but to notice how young Chazz looked when he stared at him like that. So utterly lost and helpless.

Once he was satisfied with the distance he put between them, the detective leaned back against the farthest wall and let out a long, tired breath. When he cautiously turned to sit on his knees, an elegant hand was held out to stop him in a vague, distracted gesture he felt compelled to obey.

However, whatever explanation the taller man might offer him never got the chance to leave his gaping lips. A powerful riff sliced through thick tension and silence all of a sudden, frightening the black haired man more than it surprised him.

The uncertain, shaky words he threw at him before leaving him there only reached his ears in the form of a whisper, like the cold, distorted language he only got to hear in his dreams.

"Something's probably up with the case. I have to go now."

Chazz most likely thought he wouldn't notice the desperation hidden in the unsteady movements he made across the room to gather the things he needed in order to leave. Just fumbling with the doorknob proved to be an epic battle for his trembling hands.

Beneath the safety of escape the frame of the door offered him, the youngest Princeton turned back to cast him a glance that was so blank and detached he could literally feel his spirit tumble to the floor, frozen and lifeless.

"I...I'll call you later, Jaden."

And with that soft murmur the door was suddenly closed, leaving him inside, alone against his dark thoughts and fears.

He honestly couldn't bring himself to be surprised at Chazz's helpless reaction.

If anything, it confirmed the rising gut feeling he'd been carrying for years now, the same bad omen that had become his biggest fear overnight without him even realizing it.

'_Chazz and I were already extremely different when we gave this a shot..." _

He wasn't the exact same person he'd been all those years ago; he knew that. They had all changed somehow.

But him...judging by Syrus' reaction and his very own feelings about his new dark nature, his change was the most evident of them all.

_What if we're too different to even try now?_

_

* * *

_

Desperation and loneliness he'd been trained to overcome...it was the guilt and the sadness that killed him.

Completely uncaring about the two dead silent yet observant guards that dashed into the elevator after him, he staggered back until his shoulders hit the wine-red, cold wall. He brought a hand up to cover the upper half of his face and gritted his teeth hard, but he still was unable to smother the miserable roar that rose within his chest.

It was gone.

The light, the innocence he'd fought to protect — from anything bad or anyone, from the very evil in the world and even his own demons — it wasn't there anymore.

Jaden was...just different. Everything about him was. His tone, his face; hell, even his scent was different. And his eyes...the memory of them alone was more than enough to make him double over and dry heave heavily.

The idiotic, good natured and simple moron he loved, the slacker, he...didn't exist anymore.

The look permanently plastered on his beautiful face was like a refined, older version of the serious expression Jaden used to give him whenever he was angry or worried, and instead of a faint blush and a wide stare, he found a pair of dark, heavy-lidded eyes peering up at him a desperate hand that pulled him right back down, into a pond of heat and hunger so strong it'd almost drowned him.

* * *

(1 month later)

He waited patiently for his floor number and the automatic door to match, and when it finally did with a gentle ding, he calmly stepped out, fully intent on having a nice shower before dropping by the coffee house to check on Gabriel.

A quick but rather perceptible glint of black caught his attention from the farthest end of the hallway, three or four doors after his own, and it instantly shot his heart so far up his chest he could almost taste it.

Frowning slightly, he decided to listen to his gut and performed a harmless little test.

He opened the door to his room and then closed it again, making sure to create a clear, firm slam. And waited.

When he saw Chazz Princeton slowly appear from the sharp angle of the corner, wary and jerky like an insomniac mouse, he could feel the already fragile yet imaginary twig inside his head snap right in half.

And maybe if he hadn't been so surprised, he might've succeeded in desperate attempt to flee.

But he didn't, since a pair of very strong, very pissed hands grabbed him by the shoulders only to spin him and hurl him into the wall opposite from his door, hard enough to send him into a powerful daze.

The precision and utter calm with which Jaden fastened Chazz' hands together using his own black scarf after pinning him to the wall with his whole body, it was just as intimidating as it was exciting. So much so, the older man highly doubted anyone who happened to walk in on them would be stupid enough to try and help him.

And he was really thankful for that because he was actually enjoying the manhandling.

Not one to go down without a proper fight, however, he glanced back at the silently seething brunet over his shoulder and smirked mischievously. "Didn't know you liked to play rough, slacker..."

His taunts were skillfully ignored. Once he was done tying the long piece of wool around his wrists, the brunet pulled him by the fat black knot resting over his lower back and tossed him into his room.

The dark-eyed man landed on his stomach over the fair carpet, grunting a bit at the small jolt of pain the hard impact ripped from his recent wound. Through the soreness and the difficulty of trying to sit up while tied-up, he managed a small smirk. "You know...I'm not bondage-kinky kinda guy, but for you I guess I could make an excep-"

"Stop."

A word that small and harmless shouldn't have sounded so strong, especially not when the tone that delivered it was merely a breathless, tired whisper. But it did, and the indigo aura around Jaden was without a doubt the finishing blow for him. It rendered him speechless.

Those butterscotch gemstones drilled straight into his soul, deep enough to sense his doubts and stumble across the very core of his greatest fears. He was hypnotized, just not in the good way. "Stop talking, stop running away, just...**stop**."

"I wasn't running. I was planning on coming back later." The response he got for that was certainly not the one he'd expected.

"Oh yeah? _Seven years_ later?" It had been a cheap, cheap shot; he knew that all too well and still refused to pretend he was moved or even cared in the least about the distraught glare that sharp comment earned him.

Still, he doubted anything he said or did would ever come close in cheapness to the half-assed excuses that detective right there had used on him.

Keeping his voice and expression free from emotion was something he was not used to. Nevertheless, he was quite good with that kind of acts, and as he crouched down in front of Chazz in search for any signs of deception, he tried to convince himself he was good at keeping his much-needed distance, too.

"What are you doing here?"

The older man returned the stare with a elegant type of defiance only he could accomplish, and finally answered in a soft, tight-lipped tone. "I came here to apologize."

For some reason, instead of relieving him of his sadness or fueling his old resentment like the thought it would, that answer only slammed the door in the face of his rebellious emotions, the ones that spoke of forgiveness and love.

A terrible numbness was all that remained.

He fixed the other with a pensive look before nodding gently. "Alright. Apology accepted. You can go now." At the confused, wide stare that studied him, he rose to his feet and swiftly opened the door. When the detective didn't even blink, he held out an arm towards the door and insisted. "It's okay, I won't be mad at you."

Chazz didn't say anything for a long time, just sat there with a wistful, reflective frown marring his lovely features. After a small moment of hesitation in which he casted a brief glance at the carpet, he eventually asked the million-dollar question. "You really hate me that much?"

But regardless of the many times he had asked himself that, Jaden was left at a complete loss.

From his spot on the floor, Chazz was able to watch first-hand as the light and the consciousness vanished from eyes in a second. The door closed slowly under the guidance of a limp hand, the other's back coming down hard to lean heavily on it.

He'd been so absorbed in the story those brown eyes told him that he forgot all about the story he'd demanded to hear, and when Jaden's hoarse voice reached his ears, he returned to his body with a slight flinch.

"You...you were dying, right there, right in front of me..." Once out of the strong daze, he realized the hypnotizing, chocolate orbs were looking right through him, unfocused and misty. "And all I could think while I waited was how fitting the whole thing was..."

Curious enough, he ventured a question. "Fitting?"

When the silence he offered in exchange for an explanation stretched out for a few seconds, he instantly blamed himself for interrupting the subconscious monologue.

Just when he thought he would never know the end of that idea, his former classmate nodded distractedly and carried on.

"I hated your guts for years. I really did." He put some focus into his stare and fixed him with a brief, serious look. "I hated you for acting like a coward and for making promises you wouldn't even remember..."

That last part almost sent the detective over the edge, and he truly had to muster up all of his will just to keep himself from jumping at the false accusation.

Because he did remember. He was a man of his word, after all, and rejection or not, all of his instincts told him to honor that promise in spite of his own pain.

"-so much it changed everything. The world was different, and I just...stopped caring about people. I didn't care about making friends or helping people out, not anymore."

But he couldn't. He had to draw a line, somewhere. At least for the sake of his sanity.

The stale, almost bitter laughter Jaden let out after that only made his head spin faster. "I guess a part of me thought that losing you would be my punishment for hating you like that."

How could the biggest sacrifice end up being the cruelest betrayal? The worst betrayal ever?

He loved Jaden so much it made life simple...effortless. It amplified his biggest fears, but it also straightened his will and multiplied his courage. It gave him something much more valuable than safety. It gave him a reason.

He loved the slacker so much the hardest choice...

"...became the easiest thing." Awareness bled back into his stray stare and he pinned it right on the other, his lips twitching upwards to form a small, tired smile. "Leaving you wasn't easy for me, you know? It almost killed me."

The unnaturally sad expression he was wearing morphed into one he was familiar with.

Confidence. "...but I never regretted it." At the baffled, peeved frown he was awarded with, he released a chuckle and shook his head. "I'm definitely not the praying type and still I prayed for you two to be happy, everyday."

If anything, his heartfelt, embarrassing confession only seemed to annoy Jaden even more, making him snort in anger from where he stood. With a bitter grin and a faint scowl that spelled resent from every angle, the brunet turned back to him. "Come on, you're supposed to be good with these things, _detective." _

The tone alone made Chazz flinch and sink further into himself, humiliated by the righteous sentence that continued to flow despite his silence.

"If I loved Jesse _so much_, then why did I give **you** the only keepsake I had of my father? You really think I'm that impulsive?"

Truth be told, he'd asked himself the very same thing countless times. That and many other questions that seemed so obvious now.

He'd been a sad fool. That was the only thing he could say in his defense.

He chased Jaden's dark gaze across the room until, hurt and unwilling, it finally found his. Knowing he was the only reason for all the sadness and solace in those right butterscotch eyes hurled his spirit into a lake of guilt; however, the sight also gave him hope.

If he could have him back — him and everything else he stood for — he would pour out all of his energy and time just to make up for the consequences of the biggest mistake he'd ever made. Fast and right like a requested painful truth, the question hanging inside their heads formed on his lips.

"What about now?" Something about the way the slacker's features twitched at the words told him the long wait hadn't really prepared him to hear them, and taking advantage of the unusual momentum, he carried on. "Did that change over the years, like everything else did?"

Neither of them wanted the unreal promise of eternal happiness.

They just wanted a chance. "Like you and I did?" Still, a deep, static-charged silence was his only answer. Thus, he tried again. "You love me?"

Infuriated all of a sudden, Jaden let out a low growl and walked towards the window, unconsciously turning his back on the other.

How could Chazz do that to him all over again? It made it really hard for him not to think he was a cruel and selfish son of a bitch.

After a long, clearly difficult struggle just to find his stance, he could only whisper, "That never seemed to matter before, Chazz..."

The unexpected weight that pressed against each of his sides startled him at first, but their familiar warmth soothed him and chased away his every fear and doubt. He closed his eyes. For the first time in years, he felt...right. The hands spun him around and into the heat and turmoil of a kiss. In spite of the madness, though, he couldn't help but to wonder how the youngest Princeton could still taste like vanilla and mint even after so many years.

The supernatural effect was so addictive and dizzying it took all of his willpower just to keep himself from latching onto him with his teeth like a leech when the other pulled away. And to make things worse, he lingered inside the few precious inches of his very personal space only to stare at him, fully aware of what those meaningful looks could do to him. So he glanced down, and didn't even think about making eye-contact. He simply couldn't take that chance.

Because he knew that just one peek into those silver rings would do him in. "It always did." A pair of long fingers nudged his chin upwards with ease, immediately sealing his fate as their eyes clashed. "Now answer the question, please."

A single word slipped under his radar in his state of stupor in a tone that was breathless yet fervent, shaking but confident, like it was a deadly forbidden secret that would cost him everything he held dear. "Yes."

Chazz, on the other hand, was long lost inside the other's gaze, not even waiting for an answer.

Suddenly...it hit him.

Cheery or serious, naive or aware, even dead or alive...this guy would still be his good old moron, the very same dork who spilled hot cocoa on his hair twice and called it an accident — the one that gave him a second chance more times than he could count and who'd had no problem waiting for him to come around to his own feelings and desires.

And he would always be that, whether he liked it or not because they were stuck together; had been that way ever since they stumbled across each other, and like the stars and the very patterns of time, that simple fact was not about to change anytime soon.

He would give his life up for him, over and over again no matter what; he knew that for certain because he'd already done just that and had absolutely no regrets about it. He was bound to him, he loved this guy, dammit!

They were shackled to each other, and it'd been a conscious choice as much as it'd been an entirely involuntary turn of events.

Without thinking twice, or even once about it, he threaded his fingers into the soft locks on the other's nape...and descended. Desperation made the kisses short and erratic, and it clung to their lips like tears would, turning the sweet taste bittersweet.

Jaden could only close his eyes and receive everything the scorching body pressed against his was offering. And even if sharing a zealous kiss the middle of a four-star hotel room wasn't the most romantic scenario he could think of, he would happily reside in that position for as long as his body lasted if he could.

Everything about the electrifying kiss was different than he remembered, except perhaps for Chazz' characteristic, intoxicating scent. The stubble had a lot to do with that, and after a few more tastes, he decided he was rather fond of the new twist.

Those soft, mint-flavored lips abandoned his to pursue the defined line of his jaw, down inch by inch until it reached his neck, the dizzying sensation shutting off more than half of his brain cells.

In an almost scenic dance, they closed in on the bed, two pairs of feet following after each other without colliding. Clothes were ripped off urgently, heatedly, shedding fast like the small pieces of their self-control and awareness. First their shoes and socks, then his sweater and Chazz' short-coat.

They broke apart as soon as they realized they were falling, one of the detective's cheeks coming down to land over his heaving chest. Shortly after they were back to the kissing, a bit calmer now that the initial impatience had been shattered. Bliss flooded his already jagged line of thought as he stabbed his fingers into the midnight spikes, drowning in the deliciously fresh, cold sensation of recently washed hair when the tips reached Chazz' scalp.

Warm fingers slid under the hem of his dark green shirt and dragged it up slowly, apparently reveling in the sensation of his every curve and muscle until he pulled it over his head and threw it away, exposing his torso to a incredulous coal gaze.

"Can't call you a slacker now, can I?" Soft yet firm planes stretched across the brunet's abdomen despite his lean figure, accentuating the shallow angles that defined his hips, and the perfection of it all was more than enough to make his mouth water; it was so appealing it made him wonder just why he didn't walk around shirtless all day long.

However, the bareness also exposed something else...

Under the clear light that poured in through the many windows, the gleam of the silver ring he hadn't seen in years sought all of his attention. It was linked to the other's nicely chiseled neck with a thin, brown leather string which, he had to admit, looked way better than the simple chain it used to have. It matched the beautiful golden chest displayed before him like it had been made just for that purpose. Tackled by a deep remembrance, he graced his fingertips over the now warm pendant and allowed the memories to reap whatever was left of his conscience.

Jaden simply lay there, watching him with the most mind-blowing, half-closed stare he could possibly have, and he could tell by the sparkle that swirled behind the lust in his eyes that he was lost in memories, too. The younger man could barely keep himself from bursting into flames under the hot hands that demanded his attention almost immediately by seizing one of his sides and tugging at the zipper his jeans, clearly insinuating he wanted them off; an expensive black shirt soon joined them on the a small pile besides the bed.

His eyes could only examine the bullet wound for about a second before their chests were flat against each other. Chazz slid on his stomach to climb up to a higher position on the body beneath his, aided by their salty perspiration until his hips were resting cozily between strong thighs. He pressed his nose against the traveler's neck...and ground hips down, hard and slow.

The stimulation turned his mind and nerves into sizzling scraps, making him groan and squirm inside his own skin. Seemingly pleased by his bold reaction, the detective let out a low growl and set a pace after that. Sighs, groans and gasps all merged into the same delirious symphony that knew no time or bounds and that left the rest of their senses starving for more scents and tastes.

A few stray nips and murmurs later, their lips found each other again.

It took them little less than a minute to notice the urge for more skin-to-skin contact, and about two seconds to succumb to it. The odd yet adorable 'wait here' gesture the other made thrilled him for some reason, but he still didn't make anything out of it.

When Chazz quickly walked into the bathroom only to stumble right back out a moment later, with a small bottle of complimentary moisturizing lotion clutched in one hand, his brain had no problem putting two and two together.

Something was definitely going to happen that evening.

The detective tossed the blue bottle onto the white sheets to unbuckle his belt and yank off his black pants, elegant ivory hands finding no trouble as they went. His eyes, however, remained glued to Jaden the entire time.

In the state of complete bareness the other was, the black haired male in front of him was absolutely beautiful, all of him. With zero hesitation in his gray gaze, he crawled into the bed and back to his former position. He returned the warm grin Jaden offered in his own quirky, crooked way; they didn't even need to start all over again.

Chazz, being the chivalrous, thorough jerk that he was, showed him nothing but patience and gentleness as he got him ready, and while the new experience felt beyond weird, he also found it kinda pleasurable. Still, nothing he did would've prepared him for the raw, breath-taking sensation of being full to the brim, despite the slow, mild pace. The youngest Princeton put a lot of effort into getting him to relax again by kissing his lips softly and lapping at his neck.

He allowed him a few minutes to get used to it before trusting back inside Jaden, who threw his head back into the sheets and arched into him with a broken moan.

The pair of gems that stared dazedly up at him as they moved as one had darkened from butterscotch to mature cognac, and those swollen, ruby-red lips remained parted to drop his name into his ear more often than not. Hands everywhere, senses insane and overwhelmed, loud noises and so much heat...he felt like he was drowning inside a pool of pure fire in the middle of a desert.

Needless to say, it was a very, very long night full of reconciliation and devotion.

* * *

None of them were surprised in the slightest when they suddenly decided to live together and moved in to the small house Chazz had bought for them before graduation. In fact, most of them even wondered what had taken them so long to reach that decision.

No more running or hiding — no more traveling around the world in hopes of running into each other again.

It gave him the feeling that everything in the world was all right again, now that those two were together again. Because their need for one another was deeper than the need for water or oxygen, despite the obvious, insistent differences between them.

Now that he actually thought about it, everything was different when it came to them. Instead of following the old cliché that said soul mates brought out the best parts of one another, Chazz and Jaden's relationship seemed to work in a different, very unique way.

While the fearless hero became the old cynical joker, with a newfound motivation and an unusual yet accepted definition of kindness, the bored, good-hearted traveler who'd lived and seen it all retrieved a part of the zealous passion he once had for life.

And, God help him, it really worked.

Somehow, they made it work.

It took him a while to comprehend that even if the worst part of someone was their ugliest side, it was also the real thing, the part that defined them entirely. Because no one could be all smiles, all the time, through their whole lives — not even Jaden Yuki.

At first he'd been too sad for words at his somber attitude, and so had been Chazz. Even if the guy could be a master at staying calm and straight-faced no matter what, he knew him well enough to see how devastated he'd been about it.

But then he got it. And so did his black haired friend.

It was the natural course of things.

Like everyone, Jaden too had to grow up one day and move on with his life the way it'd turned out to be. Same went for Chazz; proud and cocky as he was when they met, of course he was bound to learn sooner or later that life was actually easier and funnier if he was nice to people on a daily basis.

So they changed, and what could be more natural and human than that?

Nothing would ever be easy for them; that was just the way things were. They knew that all too well the moment they realized going their separate ways again would be a terrible mistake and took one another for exactly what they were, with their flaws and doubts.

The only thing that sort of bothered him was all the time they lost, and how many things they went through just to understand that themselves. They had plenty of time to make up for that, though, so he wouldn't worry.

In his old Jay's words:

"_Relax, buddy...we have all the time in the world."_

**Fin**.


End file.
